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.
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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