How the Budget Bill Seeks to Grant Sweeping Powers to Ministers

Prime Minister Mark Carney and Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne applaud following a vote on the federal budget on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, on Nov. 17, 2025. The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld12/17/2025|Updated: 12/17/2025The Liberal government’s budget bill could grant sweeping powers to ministers that would enable them to exempt any individual or company from federal laws, except the Criminal Code.Such powers are currently granted to the ministers of transport and health, but the bill seeks to expand it to all ministers, a move the opposition says could lead to abuses.Olivia Gomm is a news reporter with the Canadian edition of The Epoch Times.Author’s Selected Articles