Ottawa repurposing $10.5B to hike spending on health care, housing over three years

OTTAWA – The federal government will repurpose $10.5 billion from the budgets of 69 departments, agencies and Crown corporations, Treasury Board President Anita Anand said Thursday.

The top-line numbers are contained in the government’s main spending estimates, which were tabled in the House of Commons on Thursday morning.

Nothing in the documents shows where the money is specifically being redirected. 

But the Liberals have previously promised to put more money towards key priorities such as health care and housing. 

The main estimates outline how much money departments and agencies are being allocated for the coming fiscal year, not including new spending that could be announced in the spring budget.

Anand is also offering an update on how the government is doing to meet a promise to shift money away from things like  travel and outside consultants.

Almost one-quarter of the funds being repurposed next year are coming out of the Department of National Defence.

But documents show the department is also in line to get an increase of more than $2.5 billion compared with what it was allocated last year.

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