The Canadian government reduced the growth of program spending to 2% a year.
Posted by The MeidasTouch Podcast, Checked
- Sources
- 1 contradict1 support2 context
- Said
- 1 time·
- Confidence
- 45%
The MeidasTouch PodcastOct 22, 2026
The claim's 2% figure is only partly supported.
A played clip makes this claim. Listeners heard it, so it counts against the post.
This claim is about the present, so it is judged as of the day it was checked.
What was said
… But you will see tough decisions that this government has taken, last year's budget, this upcoming budget. I won't preview the budget, but just keep in mind that the growth of program spending was running at 8% a year for almost a decade. We brought it down to 2%. We're very clear about how we use our scarce taxpayer dollars. That's what they are, taxpayer dollars, and that is a focus on affordability and growing this economy. Capital investment is going to grow this economy. …
The MeidasTouch Podcast · · from the transcriptPost →What we found
Contradicts. The Treasury Board outcomes tracker lists a commitment to slow direct program spending growth from 8% to under 1%, which does not match the claimed 2% program spending growth.[2]
Supports. Reuters reports that government program expenditures increased 2.1% over the first 11 months of 2025/26, a rate close to the claimed 2% annual growth.[1]
Context. The 2% growth target in the June 2025 PBO monitor applies to the annual growth of operating spending (cut from 9%), not program spending, so the claim conflates two different measures.[3]
Context. Sources describe targets and commitments to slow spending growth; none of them states that program spending growth was measured at exactly 2% a year as a result of government action.[2][3][4]
Sources
4 sources: 1 fact-checker, 3 not rated
- 1Canada budget deficit over first 11 months of 2025/26 rises to C$25.55 blnreuters.com · fact-checker · cited for: supports
- 2Treasury Board Of Canada Secretariat - Outcomes Trackerbuildcanada.com · not rated · cited for: contradicts, context
- 3Economic and Fiscal Monitor – June 2025pbo-dpb.ca · not rated · cited for: context
- 4Department of Finance Canada's 2026-27 Departmental Plancanada.ca · not rated · cited for: context
Where this claim was made
Said in 1 published post
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