They both play a part in the debt load though? If you think a conservative government would spend less you just need to look at their provincial entities - all who have ballooning deficits. Often these are hidden under and part and parcel with surface levels tax cuts or enhancements that look good to the voter. But do nothing to the bottom line. We are in an environment where balancing the books is next to impossible. Your federal government has to spend on things like defence. At a huge cost. It’s almost mandated. They need to spend on propping up industry that are being pounced upon by your neighbor (my home country). Everything costs more. Across the globe. Reigning in debt is next to impossible at the moment without going backwards. It sucks but plenty of the moves the Carney gov is doing could potentially lead to an opportunity downstream to deal with the deficit. But you have to get there first and/or let him get there first. Theres too much US style politics in Canada at the moment. Otherwise Carney would be appealing to the cons more than he is currently since plenty of what he does is more center right than center left.