OTTAWA — In the final days before the launch of Canada’s 45th general election on March 23, Liberal MPs unleashed a sweeping pre-election spending spree, committing nearly $3.86 billion to 411 projects across the country — a move that critics say exemplifies how federal dollars often flow fastest just before voters head to the polls.
A Global News analysis reveals that 38 Liberal MPs made spending announcements in 37 communities, issuing cheques from Yellowknife to St. John’s. On March 22 alone — just one day before the writ dropped — $1.8 billion in funding was pledged for 116 different initiatives.
The phenomenon, while dramatic, is not new. Over the last four federal elections, both Liberal and Conservative governments have routinely accelerated spending in the days leading up to official campaign periods. The analysis, based on over 67,000 federal funding announcements from 2011 to 2025, shows a consistent pattern: project announcements spike in the days before Parliament dissolves.
Billions in the Balance
In comparison to previous elections, this year’s pre-election week outpaced others. In 2021, the Liberals committed $3.03 billion to 495 projects just before the election. Ahead of the 2015 vote, the then-Conservative government handed out $2.7 billion across 430 projects.
From 2021 to 2025 — the duration of the 44th Parliament — Liberal MPs announced 22,290 federally funded projects, with a total commitment of just over $110 billion. It was the highest spending figure across any Parliament tracked since 2011.
Among the most significant announcements in the final week were two major transit projects in Quebec: a $650 million top-up for the Montreal Blue Line extension and $332.3 million for the Quebec City Tramway. Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Quebec lieutenant, Steven Guilbeault, was among the Liberal figures who appeared at the announcements, all while seeking re-election in the province.
Guilbeault also pledged $400 million for 11 green infrastructure projects across Quebec the day before the writ was issued. Ultimately, the Liberals would see their strongest electoral result in Quebec in decades, securing 44 seats.
Targeted Spending in Tougher Ridings
While pre-election cheques are common, their strategic deployment in newly drawn or vulnerable ridings adds another layer of political calculation.
Take Terry Sheehan, the Liberal MP for Sault Ste. Marie. Following the redrawing of electoral boundaries, Sheehan found himself contesting the new riding of Sault Ste. Marie–Algoma, where past votes leaned Conservative. Beginning in summer 2024, he travelled outside his traditional riding to deliver cheques in Elliott Lake, Wawa, and Serpent River First Nation — areas newly added to his district.
On July 26, 2024, Sheehan handed out $972,057 in Wawa. He returned in October with another $1.7 million in Elliott Lake. Just days before the election, he announced $1.8 million in additional funds back in Wawa. In March, he pledged $108,000 in Serpent River FN for a tourism project. All of those communities had previously been part of an NDP riding. Sheehan won his new riding by a narrow margin of 1,728 votes.
But such spending doesn’t always yield electoral returns. In Calgary, Liberal MP George Chahal lost his seat despite announcing $8.3 million in funding for 13 Alberta projects on March 22, including money for hydrogen studies and a boost to Calgary’s Energy Transition Centre.
Likewise, former Liberal cabinet minister Diane Lebouthillier lost her seat in Gaspésie—Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine—Listuguj to the Bloc Québécois, despite presiding over 267 local projects worth $242.42 million during the 44th Parliament. Her riding had received the second-highest number of funded projects nationwide.
In western Newfoundland, the Liberals also lost Long Range Mountains, where the government had committed $77.12 million to 209 projects — the ninth-most in any riding.
Liberal Majority of Spending
Overall, Global News found that $78.5 billion of the $110 billion announced from 2021 to 2025 could be tied to specific ridings. Of those:
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Liberal-held ridings: $35.8 billion for 9,834 projects
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Conservative ridings: $23.5 billion for 7,038 projects
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NDP ridings: $7.27 billion for 2,456 projects
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BQ ridings: $10.7 billion for 1,043 projects
The remaining $31.5 billion was either directed abroad, too broad to be pinned to a specific location, or split across multiple ridings.
A New Government, a New Pace
The Carney-led government, which took office after the 2025 election, has so far made only four federal spending commitments, including a major $410 million investment in a Transportation Safety and Technology Science hub in Ottawa.
As this new Parliament begins, Canadians — and opposition parties — are watching closely to see whether the pre-election cheque-writing frenzy has truly ended, or if it’s just paused until the next campaign begins.
