OTTAWA — Chrystia Freeland donned fresh footwear for the benefit of the cameras today — a long-standing tradition the day before the finance minister presents the federal budget.

The Liberals have made no secret of their plans to focus on housing and affordability, so the only details left to disclose on Tuesday could well be how Ottawa plans to pay for everything.

Freeland and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have spent the better part of the last three weeks doling out budget details in a string of announcements from coast to coast.

Trudeau is also set to deliver a pre-budget speech later today to the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Ottawa.

Both have sidestepped questions about how the government will fund billions in promised new spending, as Ottawa aims to help build nearly four million new homes in the next six years.

They have only said there will be no tax increases on the “middle class,” without confirming the fate of businesses or wealthier income earners.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 15, 2024.

The Canadian Press