‘elbows Up’ Is So 2025. Next Up: ‘masters Of Our Destiny.’

OTTAWA — Canadian Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne used his second federal budget to make the case that “elbows up” Canadians can become “masters of their own destiny.”

“In the face of adversity, we’re seizing opportunities and working together to rebuild stronger,” Champagne told the House of Commons on Thursday as he shared the 2026 federal budget, a document that does not dwell on Trump’s trade war.

“I sincerely believe that in a few years, Canadians will see this moment as another turning point in our history,” he added.

Asked about the Democrats' blitz of Republicans in midterm elections, Prime Minister Mark Carney told reporters his government is focused on opportunity. “Yes, it’s important what happens in the U.S. and things will evolve. But we're focused here,” he said Thursday morning on the Hill. “It’s a confident country moving forward.”

Carney’s finance minister pitched his plan as one that extends short-term help to Canadians who need it, long-term structural change meant to drive productivity and a renewed focus on Canadian culture and stories.

He wants to spend billions on benefits and forgo billions more in tax revenue, all in service to economic growth meant to raise the standard of living across the board.

The Playbook Canada pod decodes the budget — including the parts the Liberals don’t want to talk about — and explains what it reveals about the prime minister’s priorities.

Recorded in the budget lockup on Thursday, the episode includes analysis from former Parliamentary Budget Officer Yves Giroux and a 200-second interview with budget day veteran Susan Delacourt.

Bottom line: Critics will likely target all the red ink, but their influence is limited. The Liberals’ majority in the House of Commons virtually guarantees them the opportunity to implement their plans.