Politics

Budget 2018: Highlights of Bill Morneau's 'equality + growth' budget

Finance Minister Bill Morneau has tabled his third budget. Here is a look at the highlights, new measures and key numbers.
Finance Minister Bill Morneau and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau leave the prime minister's office to table the federal budget in the House of Commons in Ottawa on Tuesday, Feb.27, 2018. (Sean Kilpatrick/Canadian Press)

Finance Minister Bill Morneau has tabled his third budget. Here is a look at the highlights, new measures and key numbers:

  • $21.5B in new spending over 6 years, including the fiscal year just ending.
  • $18.1B projected deficit for 2018-19 (including $3B for risk), falling to $12.3B by 2022-23.

  • $750M over 5 years to improve cyber security.
  • $231M over 5 years to address the opioid crisis, including $165M this year.
  • 5 weeks extra leave for two-parent families under the EI Parental Sharing Benefit (June 2019).
  • Legislation promised this year on federal pay equity - but no price tag yet.
  • $172.6M more over 3 years for clean drinking water on reserves.
  • $1.4B over 6 years in new funding for First Nations Child and Family Services.
  • $2B over 5 years in additional foreign aid under the Feminist International Assistance Policy.

  • $10M over 5 years for an RCMP unit to review 25,000 cases of sex assault deemed "unfounded."
  • $1.3B over 5 years to conserve land, waterways and wildlife and protect species at risk.
  • $100M over 5 years to develop rural broadband innovation, including low-earth-orbit satellites.
  • New judges - 6 for Ontario, 1 for Saskatchewan - and more money to help ease court backlogs.
  • $173M to address irregular border-crossings and asylum seekers.
  •  $6M for a new process to hold federal leadership debates during election years.
  • $50M over 5 years to one or more independent organizations to support local journalism.
  • $30M over 3 years to promote women and girls' participation in sport.
  • $81M over 5 years to help families inadvertently caught up in the no-fly list.
  • Free admission for kids to national parks will be made permanent.
  • Creation of advisory council on implementing national pharmacare - but no money yet.
  • Some retired or little used paper currency will no longer be legal tender.