What Workers Need in the 2025 Federal Budget

Statement by Melissa Marsman, President, Nova Scotia Federation of Labour

Workers in Nova Scotia are doing their best to make ends meet, but many are struggling to keep up. Prices for food, rent, heating, and fuel continue to rise, while wages have not kept pace. The 2025 federal budget presents an opportunity for the government to demonstrate its commitment to supporting working people, rather than the wealthy few.

The Nova Scotia Federation of Labour, representing over 80,000 workers, is calling for a federal budget that invests in people, not cuts. We are deeply concerned by reports that this budget will focus on austerity, financial discipline, and gradual adjustment. Workers cannot afford another round of belt-tightening when corporations continue to post record profits. Ordinary people should not bear the cost of fiscal restraint through reduced services or higher personal taxes. The government must raise more revenue from those who can afford it, the wealthy and large corporations, rather than cutting the programs families rely on.

Ottawa must reject privatization and instead strengthen public healthcare, long-term care, mental health supports, and pharmacare. Health transfers should only be made to public or nonprofit systems. Public services are the foundation of fairness, and they must remain in public hands. The federal budget must fund the construction of new public, cooperative, and nonprofit housing on government land, while protecting renters from no-fault evictions. These projects should use union labour and create well-paid, secure jobs that build stronger local economies.

We hope to see lower EI entry requirements, increased benefits, and the elimination of waiting periods. Workers in seasonal, part-time, and gig jobs deserve absolute protection. Disability benefits also need to rise so that no one with a disability lives in poverty. Canada needs good jobs in clean energy, manufacturing, construction, and care work. These investments should include training and apprenticeship programs that prepare the next generation of workers and guarantee fair wages and safe conditions. It’s time for the wealthiest individuals and most profitable corporations to pay their fair share of taxes. End corporate giveaways, close tax loopholes, and introduce taxes on excess profits and extreme wealth. Public money should strengthen communities, not line the pockets of CEOs.

This budget must choose fairness over austerity. Working people are the backbone of our economy, and they deserve a government that prioritizes their needs.