This week, Canada sharpened its fiscal tools ahead of Budget 2025, but not without scrutiny. While federal reforms promise better planning and long-term investment, watchdogs and opposition parties warn of deeper structural issues. Meanwhile, new voices are entering key policy debates, from pharmaceutical access to global science partnerships, offering both critique and inspiration for what comes next.
Budget 2025 Sparks Mixed Reactions from PBO, Opposition, and Public
Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government has confirmed that federal budgets will permanently shift to the fall, with Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne framing the move as a way to align better with construction seasons, housing priorities, and G7 practices. Budget 2025, set for November 4, will be the first to distinguish between operating expenses and capital investments, reflecting the Liberals’ pledge to cut day-to-day spending while boosting infrastructure and housing. Opposition MPs criticized the timing and approach, with Conservatives warning of distraction from rising deficits and the Bloc Québécois accusing the government of rewriting rules to cover past mismanagement.
Senior officials said making the fall budget permanent will better align federal spending plans with the main estimates due each March, giving MPs stronger oversight and organizations more predictability. Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO) Jason Jacques has warned Canada’s deficit could rise to $68.5 billion this year and described the fiscal outlook as “not sustainable,” with some forecasts projecting it could exceed $100 billion.
Columnist Sean Speer argued that while Mark Carney’s move to align the budget with the parliamentary estimates process is a positive reform, the new Capital Budget Framework risks obscuring the true costs of government spending. He warned that Canada’s deeper issue is a structural deficit driven by public demand for high spending without matching tax levels, a political problem no accounting change can fix.
Meanwhile, in the House of Commons, Conservative MP Melissa Lantsman sponsored petition e-6769, which called on Prime Minister Mark Carney to table the 2025 federal budget before November 4 or resign, triggering a general election. The petition criticized the Liberals’ fiscal plan as “unsustainable” and highlighted concerns raised by the PBO.
New Book Calls for Overhaul of Canada’s Pharmaceutical Policy Landscape
A new book by Brett J. Skinner, PhD, released by the Canadian Health Policy Institute, is reigniting debate over Canada’s pharmaceutical pricing and access framework. In “Building Better Pharma Policy in Canada,” Dr. Skinner argued that Canada’s current policy climate is detrimental to the introduction of new pharmaceutical products, causing delays and limiting access to advanced treatments for Canadian patients compared to Americans and Europeans.
Skinner suggested that price regulation interferes with the availability of new drugs and stifles research and development investment, with Canadian policies creating non-tariff trade barriers that disadvantage foreign pharmaceutical companies.
EU–Canada Science Diplomacy Symposium and Canada’s Life Sciences Community Celebrates Innovation and Excellence
The Delegation of the European Union to Canada marked the close of the 2025 Science Diplomacy Symposium on E.U.–Canada Scientific Collaboration in Horizon. Held on October 3 at the University of Toronto Faculty Club, the event emphasized shared priorities in research, innovation, and global collaboration.
Canada’s life sciences sector saw a week of celebration and recognition, with events spotlighting breakthrough research and policy leadership. BioAlberta’s annual Health and Life Sciences Showcase celebrated Alberta’s vibrant life sciences ecosystem, emphasizing the essential role of community support and sponsorship.
Additionally, at the 27th Annual Life Sciences B.C. Awards, Dr. Fiona Brinkman was honored with the Genome B.C. Award for Scientific Excellence for her significant contributions to bioinformatics and microbial evolution research, which are driving advancements in infectious disease understanding.
Meanwhile, the 17th Canadian Science Policy Conference (CSPC) 2025 Awards, scheduled to be held at the Westin Ottawa Hotel Ballroom on November 19, 2025, will honor several individuals for their outstanding contributions to science and innovation policy.
As Budget 2025 nears, the push and pull between reform and restraint continues to define Ottawa’s agenda. With mounting expectations across health, innovation, and fiscal policy, the coming weeks will test not just the government’s plans but also its ability to bring Canadians with it.
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