This is what Mark Carney’s budget means for you Artwork

Closer Look - Insightful, credible, unfiltered conversations that matter

In cities and towns across Ontario — and at Queen’s Park and Parliament Hill — our journalists work for you. Their mission is to dig for answers and tell you what they find. This new podcast from Village Media — ‘Closer Look’ — is all about the stories we tell. Every weeknight, hosts Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith go beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.

All Episodes

Closer Look - Insightful, credible, unfiltered conversations that matter

This is what Mark Carney’s budget means for you

November 06, 2025

Send us a text

The Carney government tabled its first-ever budget this week — and like the recent federal election, the spectre of Donald Trump looms large over the entire thing.

Although the U.S. President’s name doesn’t actually appear anywhere in the 493-page document, the budget lays out the Liberal government’s detailed plan to defend Canada from America’s ramped-up trade aggressions.

The key figure is $78.3 billion — the total projected deficit for 2025-2026 — with targeted spending on defence, infrastructure and attracting investment to Canada. The budget also includes major cuts to the country’s civil service.

Joining us on tonight's Closer Look to break down all the specifics are three Village Media journalists who were on Parliament Hill for the budget’s release: Jessica Smith Cross, editor-in-chief of The Trillium, and Katherine DeClerq and Palak Mangat of Parliament Today.

Hosted by Village Media’s Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.

Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show’s dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.

Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is closerlook@villagemedia.ca.