The Globe and Mail reports in its Wednesday edition that the Liberal government unveiled a budget with billions in new spending, paid for in part by significant capital-gains-tax changes. A triple-bylined item led by Bill Curry says the government is betting that appealing to younger voters with an ambitious housing plan is worth the cost of upsetting those calling for stronger fiscal discipline. The 2024 federal budget lays out $53-billion in new spending over five years, with $19-billion going toward a package of housing and affordability policies that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland mostly revealed through a series of cross-country announcements in recent weeks. The budget also contains other big-ticket items, including $10.7-billion for defence, $9.1-billion for indigenous communities and $6.4-billion for community health and safety measures. The new spending on housing and affordability measures is expected to be offset by the first change to capital-gains taxes in 25 years, which the budget indicates will generate about $19-billion over five years. "This budget is another swing of the tax-and-spend policy hammer," said Bank of Montreal senior economist Robert Kavcic.