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ARTICLE · 24 APRIL 2015

Budget 2015: Striking A Balance In An Election Year

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Finance Minister Joe Oliver faced formidable challenges, both economic and political, in delivering his first Budget.

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Budget 2015: Striking a Balance in an Election Year

Finance Minister Joe Oliver faced formidable challenges, both economic and political, in delivering his first Budget. In a time of depressed oil prices, and mere months ahead of the next federal election, it appears he felt it was imperative to follow through with prior commitments to balance the budget, provide "goodies" for as many Canadians as possible to consider when heading to the polls, and continue the emphasis of prior budgets on tax integrity and fairness measures.

On the first point, Budget 2015 announces that the books are balanced and projects a surplus of $1.4 billion in 2015-2016.

On the "goodies" front, Budget 2015 has something for just about everyone, from students to seniors and those in between. There is an increase in the tax-free savings account (TFSA) contribution limit and a reduction in the required minimum withdrawals for registered retirement income funds (RRIF). There is also a new

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