Prime Minister Mark Carney today previewed key measures from the upcoming federal budget, focusing on increasing access to benefits for low-income Canadians and supporting children’s nutrition. Speaking alongside Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne at a recreation centre in an Ottawa suburb, Carney announced the expansion of the Canada Revenue Agency’s automatic tax filing program and the permanent funding of the National School Food Program.
Carney stated that millions of lower-income Canadians do not file their taxes and therefore miss out on essential benefits. To address this, the CRA will prepare pre-filled tax returns for more low-income individuals with simple tax situations. The program, which began as a pilot announced in 2023, will be rolled out nationally starting in the 2026 tax year and is expected to cover up to 5.5 million people by 2028. This initiative is designed to ensure that more Canadians receive the benefits to which they are entitled, without having to navigate complicated filing processes.
Carney also confirmed that the National School Food Program, initially created with $1 billion in funding over five years starting in the 2024-25 school year, will receive $216 million in permanent annual funding beginning in 2029. The program currently aims to provide nutritious meals to 400,000 children across the country each year.
In addition, the government is reviving the Canada Strong Pass for the upcoming holiday season and next summer. This program offers free admission to parks and museums, as well as travel discounts for young adults on Via Rail. According to Carney, visits to museums, parks, and historic sites increased by an average of 15 per cent over the past summer as a result of this initiative.
The federal budget will be introduced in the House of Commons on November 4, 2025.