Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says his party has identified $150 billion in federal savings as MPs prepare to return to the House of Commons following a 13-week summer recess.Poilievre told Conservative MPs in Penticton, B.C., on Wednesday that reducing federal spending will be a top priority when Parliament resumes Monday.“Our Conservative team has been scouring the budget and we have found $150 billion of savings,” said Poilievre.He said the proposed savings amount to nearly $10,000 per Canadian family and would come from areas including the federal bureaucracy, consultants, foreign aid, asylum-related spending, corporate subsidies and major projects.Poilievre singled out the proposed Alto high-speed rail project as one area where Conservatives would seek savings.“This savings will lower debt, taxes and inflation,” he said.The Conservatives have not yet released a detailed breakdown showing how the full $150 billion would be saved.Poilievre's announcement comes as the Carney government prepares for the fall parliamentary sitting and continues its own effort to restrain operating costs.Prime Minister Mark Carney said Tuesday his government is reducing the size of the federal public service by 10% and cutting consultant spending by 20%. He said Ottawa intends to bring annual operating spending growth down from more than 8% during the previous decade to less than 2%.Carney also said the government is on track to balance its operating budget next year, while continuing to spend on capital projects.The Treasury Board has said plans for achieving the government's 20% reduction in management and consulting expenses are still being finalized. Federal records cited by the department show management consulting spending fell from about $838 million in 2024 to about $450 million in 2025..Poilievre accused the Liberal government of allowing federal spending and deficits to grow too quickly.“Just in the last year and a half Mark Carney has doubled the deficit and he has added hundreds of billions of dollars in new spending above the reckless levels that he inherited,” he said.The Conservatives say their proposed reductions would be used to cut taxes and debt while putting downward pressure on inflation.Poilievre also said his party intends to pursue measures aimed at lowering housing, fuel and vehicle costs when MPs return to Ottawa, including removing federal taxes on homebuilding and advocating for lower fuel taxes.
