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Budgets in plain words: Canada.

A take-home sheet for people at the session. Other countries: United States · United Kingdom · Australia.

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Budgets in plain words: Canada

Handout · moraph.org/commons/sessions/voice/budgets-in-plain-words

A local budget shows what your local government plans to spend, and where the money comes from. It is public, and residents can usually comment before it is adopted.

Find it

  • Look on your local government’s website, under finance, budget or meetings.
  • Ask at a library or public office for a printed copy.
  • Staff can usually tell you where to find a line you are looking for.

Read it

  • Start with the summary: money in, money out.
  • Compare this year with last year. What grew, shrank or is new?
  • Look up only the services you care about in the detail pages.

Have a say

  • Find the budget calendar: proposal, hearings or consultation, vote.
  • Comment early, while the proposal can still change.
  • Name the line, say how it affects you, and say what you would like to happen.

Stay with official sources

  • Use the published budget and meeting papers, not summaries shared online.
  • Ask staff if a line is unclear; that is part of their job.

In Canada

  • The federal budget. The federal budget is prepared by the Department of Finance Canada. Starting with Budget 2025, it is delivered in the fall, followed by an economic and fiscal update in the spring. Past budgets are archived online.
  • Pre-budget consultations. The House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance has a mandate that includes conducting pre-budget consultations.
  • Sending a brief. Any individual or organization may submit a brief, a written submission with opinions, comments and recommendations, to a House of Commons committee, even if they are not invited to appear.
  • Watching committees. House of Commons committee meetings are generally open to the public, and public meetings can be followed live online.

Official places to check:

  • Department of Finance Canada: budget.canada.ca/home-accueil-en.html
  • House of Commons of Canada: www.ourcommons.ca/Committees/en/FINA
  • House of Commons of Canada: www.ourcommons.ca/Committees/en/Participate

General information, not advice about your own situation. Checked 19 October 2026. If an official source says something different, it is right. Free to copy and adapt. moraph.org/commons/sessions/voice/budgets-in-plain-words