Russian assets must be seized; accounts of sexual violence ‘chilling’: Freeland
The uncertainty and volatility of that spillover — spurring inflation higher, upping gas and fuel prices, and further raising the costs of consumer products and foodstuffs — was a central theme in the budget tabled by Freeland last week as well.In all, the budget mentioned Russia a total of 57 times and Ukraine 59 times.In that budget — her second of the pandemic era — Freeland emphasized the need to brace for continued uncertainty amid inflation that is expected to remain high into next year.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said on Thursday that the budget hit enough of the targets needed for his party’s support to continue, but criticized the lack of clear boosts to health care spending.In particular, he had called for increases to health care transfers and more money specifically for long-term care facilities, which have been hit hard during the pandemic.
Conservative associate finance critic Dan Albas, though, pointed to a lack of clear measures to tackle that inflation, which the budget forecast will likely continue to run high into next year.