The finance minister held a town hall at Ryerson University today to discuss plans for the 2020 federal budget.
Finance Minister Bill Morneau kicked off town hall consultations today at Ryerson University, in his downtown Toronto riding. Morneau held a question period with students and community members, who voiced their concerns about the upcoming federal budget, set to be released in spring.
The town hall consultation began with a moment of silence for the 176 victims of the Tehran plane crash last week, which included 57 Canadians and two Ryerson alumni.
During the Q-and-A period, Morneau stressed that the environment will be prioritized in federal spending, even if the economy were to hit a recession.
“Should we be investing in a green environmental approach to governing our economy? The answer is unequivocally yes,” he said. “In our current situation, interest rates are low, [which] provides opportunity to invest in things that are going to improve our long-term approach to dealing with climate challenges.”
Morneau also spoke about the importance of health and safety issues, such as gun control and whether Canada would be covering security costs for Duke and Duchess of Sussex if they were to relocate to Canada. The finance minister told reporters the government hasn’t spent much time considering Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s expenses and that it has not yet come to a decision.
Kelsey is the audience engagement producer for the Ryersonian.
