At a media availability, after the platform was unveiled Sunday, Trudeau was asked multiple times whether he would commit to a timeline for a balanced budget. He didn’t answer.

Now that the federal Liberals have shied away from their vow to keep annual deficits under $10 billion, they've latched on to another fiscal target - and this one will be much easier to meet.

The ratio has been a moving target in recent years. Here's a snapshot of how it has moved in Canada.