Finance Minister Bill Morneau receives applause before delivering his fall economic statement in the House of Commons in Ottawa, Tuesday, Oct.24, 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
October 24, 2017 - 1:20 PM
OTTAWA - The big announcements in Finance Minister Bill Morneau's fiscal update were all about the middle class, but buried towards the end of the 74-page document was a list of about $9.6 billion in government spending on a much wider swath of programs.
The spending, officials say, was not provided for in the 2017 budget, but the money has either been spent or set aside for the future with little or no fanfare.
The provisions include $1.4 billion over six years for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and the Coast Guard to maintain its fleet.
The spending also includes $4 million to permanently destroy the criminal records of Canadians who engaged in consensual gay sex - once illegal but now allowed.
The government is also booking about $526 million over five years for Health Canada, the RCMP, Canada Border Services Agency and Public Safety Canada to handle the legalization of marijuana.
On top of that, about $150 million over six years is being set aside for devising and implementing new laws against drug-impaired driving.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2017