MP for Kelowna, Liberal Stephen Fuhr has defended the extensive Carney government spending saying the nation is well-positioned to do so. (Image Credit: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang)

By Glenn Hicks

Building for the future

Now’s the time to invest: Kelowna MP Fuhr

Apr 23, 2026 | 5:40 PM

The MP for Kelowna, Liberal Stephen Fuhr, says Canada needs to invest in the future and if not now, then when?

There has been criticism of the massive spending announced by Prime Minister Mark Carney on mega projects like LNG, electrification, mining and Artic and Northern infrastructure, that has fueled the projected national deficit.

Also, critics point to large social assistance spending they argue shows Carney has not differentiated himself from the previous and unpopular Trudeau government. Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre has claimed Carney’s approach “recycles” old Liberal promises and has resulted in a 62% higher deficit than the one left by Trudeau, according to Conservative analyses.

But Fuhr insists the nation is in the best position among G7 nations to be bold.

“We’re spending this money to invest in ourselves,” Fuhr said in an interview with Vernon Matters. “We need infrastructure, we need access to our critical minerals that everyone on the planet wants, we need access to energy. “

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He stressed Canada is uniquely positioned to pay for the big build.

“We have the best fiscal capacity than any other G7 country, according to the International Monetary Fund” he said. ” If we weren’t going to leverage that to invest in ourselves now, when were we going to use it?”

Fuhr, who is also Secretary of State for Defence Procurement, said thousands of jobs will come to B.C. via his fast tracked quest for a new submarine fleet and the completely new infrastructure they will need on both coasts.

Closer to home, the MP said he’s working with the City of Kelowna to increase opportunities on the east lands near the airport and bring in aerospace investments.

The Carney government is spending big on housing construction along with social assistance and affordability programs with the expansion of national dental care, national school food, and elimination of the GST for first time homebuyers.

More recently they announced the five-month suspension of the excise tax on gasoline and the new groceries and essentials benefits comes early next month for lower income families. This will mean significant increases for people on their former GST rebate cheques.

Given the huge spending, critics of the federal Liberals have questioned just how different Carney is from his predecessor. But reflecting on the first full year in office for himself and the Prime Minister, Fuhr says all you have to do is look at public opinion.

“Every poll you can find out there shows record support for Carney, and he says this all the time and this is totally true; ‘we can only control what we can control.'” Fuhr also pointed to the recent Liberal by-election victories that have helped propel the Liberals to a majority, also aided by five floor crossings.

“We can see with our own eyes things are starting to turn a corner,” he said. “It takes time, there’s no question, but direct foreign investment is up, we’re exporting more to countries other than the United States, productivity, which has been like a boat anchor around Canada’s neck for 25 years, is starting to turn the corner.”

by Glenn Hicks

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