Politics·PODCAST

The Pollcast: The politics of the budget

To break down how Budget 2017 sets the Liberals up for Election 2019, host Éric Grenier is joined by the CBC's David Cochrane, Catherine Cullen and Susan Lunn.

Host Éric Grenier is joined by the CBC's David Cochrane, Catherine Cullen and Susan Lunn

Finance Minister Bill Morneau and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau leave the prime minister's office holding copies of the federal budget in Ottawa, Wednesday, March 22, 2017. (The Canadian Press / Sean Kilpatrick)

The CBC Pollcast, hosted by CBC poll analyst Éric Grenier, explores the world of electoral politics, political polls and the trends they reveal.


In the budget presented by Finance Minister Bill Morneau on Wednesday, the Liberal government laid out its plans for the future of Canada's economy, with a focus on skills training and innovation.

But some of those plans extend to well after the 2019 federal election. The calculations the Liberals have baked into the budget could be at the whim of what happens in the interim, including changes in the world economy and the unpredictability of Donald Trump's presidency.

So how does the budget position the Liberals politically? Does it give them something to sell to voters between now and 2019? Will the government's plan to stay in deficit well into the next decade hamstring the Liberals and give the opposition parties a vulnerability to exploit?

To break down the politics of Budget 2017, Pollcast host Éric Grenier is joined by the CBC's David Cochrane, Catherine Cullen and Susan Lunn.

Listen to the full discussion above — or subscribe to the CBC Pollcast and listen to past episodes.

Follow Éric Grenier, Catherine Cullen, David Cochrane and Susan Lunn on Twitter.