The federal government has tabled details of how it plans to cut billions of dollars from programs that support science, tourism, harbour improvements, journalism, foreign aid, and even the development of a Canadian-made lunar rover module.
The cuts are detailed in hundreds of pages of departmental plans tabled in the House of Commons last Friday as MPs were preparing to return to their ridings for March break week.
Global News has analyzed the departmental plans of more than 80 federal government departments and agencies, as well as the government’s 2026-27 spending plan that was tabled in the House on March 3.
Together, those sets of documents paint a picture of a Carney government that has clearly set significantly different spending priorities from its predecessor, with a heavy focus on national defence — year-over-year defence spending will jump nearly 12 per cent, or $5.3 billion — while dialling back spending on health, the environment and funding for regional economic development.
“We need to be ambitious in our investments and rigorous in our spending,” Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne said as he tabled the 2026-27 budget on Nov. 4, 2025.
“That is why this budget charts a new course for Canada’s public finances. Canadians expect their government to achieve results. To get there, we must spend less on operations so we can invest more in Canada’s future.”
The spending plan, known in Parliament as the main estimates, shows that 85 departments will collectively receive about $31 billion less in the fiscal year that begins April 1 relative to the spending levels already approved for the current fiscal year.
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Meanwhile, about 40 departments will collectively see their spending budgets jump by about $23 billion in 2026-27.
The departmental plans provide details on how each organization will carry out its business plans with the funding provided.
Employment and Social Development Canada, for example, said it expects to save $1.4 billion “largely due to the sunsetting of temporary program funding, including the Early Learning and Child Care Program and Canada Summer Jobs.”
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans plans to spend $371 million less between 2026-2027 and 2027-2028, a result of funding changes to the small craft harbours program and ongoing negotiations related to Indigenous programs and planned completion of associated agreements.
Global Affairs Canada will reduce its workforce by seven per cent, or 887 people, over the next two years and allow several overseas programs to “sunset,” such as Canada’s International Climate Finance Commitment. Sunsetting that program alone will save $812 million.
The Canadian Space Agency has had its budget cut by $400 million, or more than one-third, and cancelled further work on a lunar rover discovery vehicle.
But many of the other cuts are smaller as the government ends myriad support programs, including:
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada will end its Agriculture Climate Solution Living Labs program, a program set up in 2021 with an annual budget of about $18 million.
- The government plans to spend $55-million in 2026-2027 on a Wine Sector Support Program but the funding is set to expire after that. The government will make a decision next year about extending that program which many wineries say makes the difference between a profit or loss for their operations.
- The Local Food Infrastructure — which gave community groups grants of up to $500,000 for greenhouses, cold storage and processing equipment — is set to expire at the end of the next fiscal year.
- The $36-million-a-year Tourism Growth Program will expire or “sunset”. It provided grants to tourism businesses to develop new products and services.
- The Department of Canadian Heritage will make reductions in the Canada Cultural Space Fund, Canada Media Fund, Canada Periodical Fund and Local Journalism, realizing savings of $76 million by 2028-29. Meanwhile, the CBC will get $192 million less next year, a seven per cent spending cut.
- Library and Archives Canada will cut its spending by nearly $50 million over the next three years, partly by ending the Documentary Heritage Communities Program and reducing Access to Information and Privacy functions.
Almost all agencies and departments that have had their budgets cut plan to reduce their employee headcount and be more efficient with their reduced funding.
The biggest losers, so far as having their budgets cut, are the Canada Revenue Agency (down $4.3 billion, or 41 per cent, versus spending approved so far for 2025-26); Fisheries and Oceans ($4.3 billion, or 69 per cent); Indigenous Services ($3 billion, or 11 per cent), Crown-Indigenous Relations ($2.7 billion, or 19 pere cent) and Global Affairs Canada ($2.1 billion, or 23 per cent).
The biggest winners are the Department of Finance (up $8.5 billion, or 5.7 per cent), Employment and Social Development ($5.7 billion, or 5.4 per cent) and the Department of National Defence ($5.3 billion, or 11.6 per cent).
Editor’s note: This story has been modified to clarify details about a planned spending reduction at the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and about details associated with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Wine Sector Support program.
Where is decommissioning the CBC
Wow ottawa is a joke just like carney
All foreign aid is a waste of money. Disaster response is different and should be provided. However aid to countries that will never improve (Haiti) or that constantly demand aid are just a drain on Canadian resources. Science and tourism benefit Canada, foreign aid is a waste of resources that can be better spent in Canada. Example: safe drinking water for many places in Canada.
As long as they are cutting the social sciences I have don’t have a problem with it. I can’t see them cutting spending in things curing cancer etc.
Even as a right of Center type voter. Even I like Carney. I had no love for JT and I dislike PP as much as I dislike far left liberals.But I don’t mind Carney so far.
Yes we need it to send to Ukraine.
Darn, right where we are moving to clinical studies after all the patents. Well, there goes our scientific studies ready to be claimed by another country, other than Canada.
Dont worry 2 billion to Ukraine
None of these will happen, all Liberal gaslighting.
While I have agreed with many of Carney’s decisions to date, I do not support the cutting of science.
Why do you need to take 50% of our pay and why you let the bank take up to 45% of our paycheck , not leaving us much to live on(5%)
Chop 32 billion annually by cutting off fn from the tax payers gravy train .
Your media services are SUCH a joke. When Harper switched directions on science and technology the media made such a big deal, warning Canadians how the government was going to ruin Canada.
Where’s the outrage here?
Of course, let’s cut everything for canadians but still send billions to Ukraine! That makes sense!
If this is true, whuly did the Carney give the European space agency located on a Brookfield campus 500 million but gave the Csnadian space agency 200 million????
How about we get a refund on the BILLIONS that we sent out to UKraine. Non confidence in this circus act
Decline please confirm
Can’t forget he promised 9.3 billion to nato 2 billion to Ukraine support 392 million for climate action 47 million to Palestine 60 million to Haiti 1 billion to global health so his cuts mean nothing so far
The costs are so far 294.8 billion in social transfers 85.5 billion in elderly benefits 54.7 billion canadian health transfers 143.1 billion in operating costs 41.9 billion in debt charges and thats not including the costs of his new strategic investment or your tax returns you do the math. He is clearly really bad with money
I can’t stand liberals. PERIOD!!!!! Trudeau was horrible now we have Carney the Conman!! Keep voting for the Idiots!!! Wake up People!!
Carney cuts are like plugging a hole in the dam with your fist. It may look good but won’t stop the flood. Our spending under the Liberals has become so bad that we are drowning in debt as a country. Which doesn’t help when people have lots of personal debt too. What a millstone the Carney Liberals are for Canadians.
Why don’t we just give Ukraine another $22 billion while we’re at it?
Its bad because he would need to cut 90% of his budget to get back to a reasonable cost on taxpayer
its just conman carney trying to con us Canadians more
The government has a max of 218,972,587,692$ or you could say almost 219 billion before the rest is borrowed money. Carney need to cut more or canadians a doomed. He can’t spend trillions
Hmmm, I’m not getting this. The front page shows StatCan having 2026-27 budget boost of $228,985,057. The departmental page shows a 2026-27 budget cut of $52,893,480. Any guesses why?
I see a similar information for Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, and I’m guessing there are others.
It is about time. It only took the Liberals 11 years to reduce spending of tax payers money. Next should be 1 billion saving on CBC.
Carney is a surgeon with money. Cutting and slicing his way to the biggest mismanagement of Canadian taxpayer dollars we have ever seen. He will become a billionaire by the time he is done after the Ukraine money laundering. All while Canadians suffer and still vote him in. ELBOWS UP!!
Maybe start a Freedom Canada Bond . Sell more resources abroad. Defense lottery.
Can we also reduce if not cancel the pensions and benefits politicians recieve?
Do whatever you want Carney. But invest more in health, education and childcare. You can keep housing
The liberals still plan to spend 34000$ per working person in taxes mostly interest for new generations 😉
Dump the Canada Strong garbage for non residents.
Have to save money for political travel and vacations, for sure!
Go liberals!
Here’s an idea… stop funding every country but Canada, stop giving free everything to everyone but Canadians, drop the joke carbon taxation, reduce government bribery, and realize that as much as we detest some foreign leaders, their country still represents 80% of our trade. Yes, you’re having a p1ssing match, but it’s us who lose. Youre flying around the globe making piddly deals that don’t move the needle. Yes, it’s a starting point, but there’s a pacaderm in your shadow that needs to be addressed.
They are cutting programs domestically and purging tax dollars in the millions and billions internationally. 100 billion dollar deficit speaks for itself
Maybe our government should stop spending money like there is no tomorrow on their trips and vacations and eating out . When we cannot afford to buy everyday groceries or even vacation within my own country. He is killing our economy. We were once a proud country now we are like a third world country and Canadians will soon be the minority here in our own native land. We need to stop supporting 3rd world countries while our own are homeless and starving. Take the money out of your pockets you make more then I do in a year for God sake.
These support programs come out of our pockets – they are not “government support” – it is our taxes. None of us would ever give our hard earned money to all these advocacy generated programs,. We give to Red Cross for disaster, Go fund me to a widow with orphans whose house burned down, etd,, Carefully considered one time – not these endless growing boondoggles, Treat our money just like it came out of your mother’s pocket, not like it is a wonderful ‘government support” assistance from heaven,
NP has become a Conservative shill of a publication. Their journalists are no longer objective by any means. I’m done with them.
And put the natives to work!!
Good .but Ukraine should be cut as well.
How about cutting welfare, and get those free loaders earning their keep, then we wont need any more temporary foreign workers. Two birds one stone.
Perfect!!! About time – cut the CBC totally since it is not worth the money any longer since we have the internet now. Shared services? Department of Canadian Heritage??? Really? we need that for what reason since most immigrants to Canada could care less about Canadian Heritage. Chief electoral officer??? CUT, CUT, El Nino and La Nina cannot be changed so CUT the climate and environment funding. Department of Indigenous services, SINCE WHEN were all born just so we could be forced to financially support Indigenous People and their wants? IF I were PM there would be a lot more cutting going on then Carney has been doing.
So once again the programs we need fall to the axe to placate that f*ckin dictator down south and Carny’s own kingdom building in the East. Canadians are getting f*cked.
Militarism 1, Public Services 0
How much money did he just give to India again? The guy talks out of both sides of his mouth.
The overall civil service grew by 40% in Trudeau’s first 5 years in office. He must have thought it would pay for itself while the budget was balancing itself. This is a welcome change.
So we cut needed programs to support Carneys cratering to Trump.
Some of these are good cuts, like native spending. – why not the wasteful EV support? Why not the supports to continue the Ukraine war? Why are we funding a space pad, when we do not have a rocket, or plans to build one?