Federal budgets to be tabled in the fall

OTTAWA — The federal government will table its annual budget in the fall from now on and distinguish capital spending from operating costs, breaking with a longstanding tradition of presenting the annual spending plan in the spring.

Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne announced the new budgetary cycle and presentation on Monday morning. He said budgets will be tabled in the fall for the following fiscal year while the fall economic update would move to the spring. Finally, pre-budget consultations would move to the summer.

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In a background technical briefing, senior government officials explained that the new schedule aims to make the government’s fiscal year planning more predictable for the private sector and other levels of government.

They also noted that