Federal Budget Includes $19.8 Billion Deficit March 20, 2019 10:02 am The Liberal Government has announced their final budget ahead of this fall’s federal election. The budget includes a $19.8 billion deficit and includes $40 billion in new spending. The budget takes the first steps toward a national pharmacare plan by creating a new Canadian ...

The Liberal Government has announced their final budget ahead of this fall’s federal election. The budget includes a $19.8 billion deficit and includes $40 billion in new spending.

The budget takes the first steps toward a national pharmacare plan by creating a new Canadian Drug Agency, which is aimed at reducing the cost of drugs.

Elgin-Middlesex-London MP Karen Vecchio says that the drug agency component leaves a lot of questions to be answered.

Vecchio says that the budget was supposed to be balanced this year, and a nearly $20 billion deficit is concerning.

Vecchio says that she believes that the budget shows a lot of what the Liberals will be campaigning on.

One of the positives in the budget for Vecchio included agriculture spending over 5 years for advertising and marketing of Canadian products.

The budget also includes increasing the amount that first time home buyers can borrow from their registered retirement savings plan to $35,000, a proposed increase from the $20,000 cap.