This week, the Liberals are receiving harsh criticism for excessive spending. At Monday’s economic update, the government will likely announce that it won’t achieve its promised $40.1-billion deficit target. And Trudeau’s GST holiday, which will cost the government $1.6 billion, won’t help.
So what is the government spending on? Transformative, big-ticket items, like $10-a-day daycare and pharmacare. Soon the country will have a national school food program, too. In Maclean’s this week, Rachel Engler-Stringer, a nutrition expert in Saskatoon, argues that the program, designed to combat hunger, will be a game-changer for Canadian children. She sees it as an investment in the country’s future.
With a federal commitment of $1 billion over five years, the program will offer snacks and meals to hundreds of thousands of kids annually starting in 2025. “Students who use these programs do better academically and miss less school,” says Engler-Stringer. A little bit of good news, in an otherwise gloomy atmosphere.
—Sarah Fulford, editor-in-chief, Maclean’s
