PBO Says Feds Can Spend More

PBO Says Feds Can Spend More
Parliamentary Budget Officer Yves Giroux waits to appear before the Commons Finance committee on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on March 10, 2020. The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld
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OTTAWA—The parliamentary budget officer says the federal government has the wiggle room to add billions more in permanent spending before its finances become unsustainable.

Based on the budget officer’s calculations, the government could increase spending, reduce taxes, or a combination of the two to the tune of $19 billion and still reduce the debt-to-GDP ratio over time to pre-pandemic levels.