Issue 76 – 25, November 9th, 2025
The Good and Bad of the Federal Budget
The federal budget for 2025 has some things that are positive and some that are concerning. Overall, this budget could have been written by a conservative or a liberal government. The federal budget mostly favors big corporations and the wealthy. This budget is more about giving handouts to the rich and ignoring real problems faced by workers and families. The budget gives tax breaks to wealthy people who own yachts, private jets and rental properties.
One of the worst parts of this budget is that it plans to cut 40,000 public service jobs over the next four years. That means fewer workers to help with health care, childcare, dental care, senior’s programs and other important services. There is also a plan to encourage early retirement, but many workers can’t afford to leave their jobs in today’s economy. While the government promised big changes, most of what they offered are only small fixes.
Another big concern is that this budget pushes privatization, handing over public services and infrastructure to private companies. A huge danger in this budget is the push for privatization. The government is giving $10 billion to the Canada Infrastructure Bank, which encourages private companies to invest in public projects. Privatization usually means fewer jobs for workers, lower wages, and less accountability. Public services should be owned and operated by the government, not handed over to profit-driven companies.
The budget promises $51 billion for community infrastructure, but most of this money is just reallocated from existing funds, it’s not new money. There are also new funds for Arctic infrastructure and trade routes, but details are missing on how these projects will benefit workers and local communities.
There’s little new funding for housing, and the details of programs like Build Canada Homes are still unclear. The government needs to build 50,000 new social housing units each year.
In health care, the budget maintains current funding but also plans to cut some health transfers in the future. It also plans to cut $300 million a year in health transfers after 2027-28. This could mean fewer services, more workload for health workers, and longer wait times for patients. The budget doesn’t do enough to support workers or address staffing shortages in health care.
The budget keeps funding for childcare at previous levels but doesn’t increase it enough to meet the needs of families. Many childcare workers are underpaid, and without proper wages and benefits, waitlists will grow longer.
Trillions will be spent on the military. The government plans to spend $81.8 billion more on defense over five years, but only minimal funds go toward fixing health care or creating jobs for Canadians. This shows the government values war and weapons over caring for its own citizens.
The budget provides less money for colleges and universities, with funding for research agencies like SSHRC and CIHR being cut by 2%. That’s a step backward when we need more innovation and skilled workers, not less.
The budget also neglects Indigenous education and fails to address the funding gaps that affect many students.
This budget is a betrayal to those fighting climate change. Instead of investing in renewable energy or reducing emissions, it offers tax breaks to oil and gas companies. It even promises to weaken environmental rules that prevent companies from spreading misinformation about pollution. Meanwhile, the government creates a tiny $40 million Youth Climate Corps, which is a drop in the ocean compared to what’s needed to fight climate change effectively.
Poverty is barely mentioned in the budget, even though millions of Canadians are struggling to get by. The government’s promise to cut poverty levels by half by 2030 is not on track, and it doesn’t invest enough in social programs. The Canada Disability Benefit gets only a tiny boost, $150, hardly enough to lift people out of poverty.
Despite all the negatives, there are some positive aspects. The government promises to invest $660.5 million over five years in programs supporting women and gender equality. It will also continue funding some Indigenous water projects and Arctic infrastructure.
There’s a new $1 billion fund for Arctic communities, which is good for northern regions. Also, some programs supporting young workers and expanding access to childcare will continue, although they are far from enough.
The budget promotes using artificial intelligence (AI) to save money in government but doesn’t do enough to protect workers from job losses or ensure AI is used fairly. There are concerns that AI could replace many public service jobs or be used to privatize services further.
Overall, this budget spends more on the military and big corporations than on everyday people. It promises some projects and programs, but many are vague or underfunded. It ignores the urgent needs of workers, seniors, Indigenous communities, and the environment.
This budget is a clear example of how the government is choosing profits and military power over people’s well-being. We need a budget that invests in good jobs, strong public services, and a healthy planet—not one that benefits only the wealthy and corporations at everyone else’s expense.
Read more -A $78B deficit, public service cuts, new tax measures: Highlights of budget 2025 | CBC News
CUPW - Update and Action Requested
This week the Canadian Union of Postal Workers continued meetings in our effort to explore negotiated solutions that both parties can agree to with the assistance of the Federal mediators.
CUPW goal remains to get negotiated collective agreements that can be ratified by the membership.
On September 25, Joel Lightbound, the Minister Responsible for Canada Post, announced devastating cuts to postal services and good jobs which will harm communities and businesses, especially in rural, remote and Indigenous areas as well as seniors and persons with disabilities who make up over 40 percent of the population. The Minister gave Canada Post 45 days to come up with a plan to implement the cuts. That 45-day deadline is almost up. CUPW is calling for a full, public and transparent mandate review to hear from the public and all stakeholders.
This week MPs are back in their ridings, CUPW is asking supporters to call your MP on Monday, November the 10th, TOMORROW! Please check out the read more for details.
Read more -Nov 10th - Call your MP.docx
Remembrance Day November 11th
On Remembrance Day, Canadians pause to honour the men and women who have served and continue to serve Canada during times of war, conflict, and peace. More than 2,300,000 Canadians have served and more than 118,000 made the ultimate sacrifice.
The poppy is the symbol of Remembrance Day. In the run-up to Remembrance Day, replica poppies are sold by the Royal Canadian Legion to provide assistance to veterans.
The reason that the poppy is worn for Remembrance Day is due to a Canadian physician and poet who noticed how quickly poppies had grown over the graves of soldiers who had died during the Battle of Ypres. This symbolism of the blood-red flowers was beautifully captured by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae in his 1915 poem “In Flanders Fields.” The poem was apparently discarded by McCrae but was found by soldiers who sent it to a London-based magazine named Punch.
In 1921, people began wearing the poppy three years after the war ended. For the centennial observance of Remembrance Day in 2021, the Royal Canadian Legion released a commemorative replica of the original fabric pin from 1921.