Canadian government spending is growing faster than revenue, and interest payments are continuing to climb, as Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland prepares to deliver her budget next month. Program expenses from April 2023 to January were 6.7% higher than the same period during the previous year, “reflecting increases across all major categories of spending,” according to data released Friday by the Department of Finance. Interest payments are up 36% compared to the previous year, while revenues are up 3%. The deficit for the 2023-2024 fiscal year is at C$25.7 billion ($18.9 billion) so far. In Canada, the ... (full story)