Ottawa promises substantive fall update as critics call for full budget [Video]

Prime Minister Mark Carney‘s government is promising a “substantive” early-fall economic statement amid criticism from economists and opposition MPs over indications the Liberals will not table a federal budget this year.

After the re-elected Liberal government’s first cabinet meeting Wednesday, Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne said his focus is on presenting a fall update as the next public accounting of federal finances.

It would be unusual to have a budget within a few months of a fall update, meaning the next budget likely won’t be presented until 2026.

Federal governments almost always release a budget early in the year. Critics say the absence of a budget will leave Canadians in the dark about the direction of federal finances.

An economic statement can be a simple update of Ottawa’s bottom line or it can also include new policy measures.

Audrey Milette, a spokesperson for Mr. Champagne, said the government is planning to release a fall …