LEAF’s Budget 2026 submission made specific asks for investments rooted in equality, that contribute to the government’s goal of a resilient economy that is uniquely Canadian – one with full participation of women, trans, and non-binary people.
At its core, Budget 2026 is a win for corporations at a time when we need deeper investments in workers, caregivers, and communities. The focus on big business – with a quarter of the budget going towards tax cuts for corporations – with only limited affordability supports is not what women, girls, trans, or non-binary people need, and risks deepening inequality across the country.
That is not to say there are no wins in Budget 2026. We see important investments in ending homelessness, supporting caregivers, as well as in equality for Black, trans, and queer communities. We celebrate these wins and will work closely with allied organizations to ensure they translate into meaningful change for our communities.
At the same time, we are underwhelmed by a budget that recognizes the importance of National Women’s Rights Organizations but fails to provide multi-year mission funding, that fails to invest in EI to ensure access for workers amid an affordability crisis, and that names the harms of gender-based violence but will not fund critical accountability measures.
Here’s a breakdown of the good and the not so good in Budget 2026 as related to LEAF’s asks:
The good
Investment in the Black Justice Strategy
Black women, girls, trans, and non-binary people are affected at every stage of the justice system: as people who are charged, as survivors of violence, and as mothers and parents holding families together – which is why LEAF urged the federal government to invest in the Black Justice Strategy.
We are pleased that Budget 2026 commits $136.3 million over four years to the Black Justice Strategy. Along with other community organizations, we asked for multi-year funding that goes directly to community, and the government delivered on both.
LEAF looks forward to working together with the federal government to ensure this funding meaningfully advances the Black Justice Strategy’s goals: ending anti-Black racism and systemic discrimination in our justice system.
Investment in the Federal 2SLGBTQI+ Action Plan
With anti-queer and trans backlash on the rise worldwide, we need government support for queer and trans communities now more than ever. The Federal 2SLGBTQIA+ Action Plan represented an important investment in queer and trans equality, but it was set to expire in March 2027.
Led by Queer Momentum, LEAF joined over 130 queer, trans, and allied organizations across Canada calling for Budget 2026 to renew and strengthen the Action Plan.
We are heartened to see Budget 2026 commit $15 million a year to the renewed Action Plan, beginning in 2027-28, to bring total spending on 2SLGBTQIA+ people and issues up to $25.9 million per year. We look forward to continuing to work with Queer Momentum, and queer, trans, and allied organizations to push for a whole-of-government approach to advancing queer and trans rights in Canada – the only option that meets the current moment.
The not so good
No stable funding for national women’s rights organizations (NWROs)
National Women’s Rights Organizations (NWROs) do critical work to remove social and economic barriers faced by women, girls, trans, and non-binary people across Canada. However, funding for NWROs is precarious, and lasting change needs sustained and flexible funding – not project-based funding alone.
Along with nine other NWROs, LEAF called for Budget 2026 to commit $10 million of multi-year mission funding annually for five years, beginning in 2027–28, to support our organizations’ missions to create systemic change.
We are deeply disappointed that Budget 2026 does not include multi-year mission funding for the leading organizations that defend and advance women’s rights in Canada, despite touting Canada as “a global leader in advancing gender equality and in innovative financing for women’s rights organisations” and recognizing NWROs as « essential partners in furthering equality in Canada and supporting [Canada’s] leadership internationally.”
The House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance recommended this funding in its pre-budget report. Without it, these organizations will continue to operate on limited project-based funding that limits their scope of work and ability to drive systemic change toward achieving substantive gender equality for girls, women and gender-diverse people in Canada.
No investments in making EI more accessible to workers
Amidst a cost-of-living crisis, tariff wars, and AI tech harvesting the job market for parts, many people rely on Canada’s social safety net to help us get by. Yet, the number of unemployed workers receiving employment insurance (EI) is historically low. When EI fails to meet the moment, women, trans, and non-binary people feel it the most.
We urged the federal government to make much-needed reforms to the EI system, namely setting 420 hours Canada-wide to qualify for a basic regular or special EI claim, providing a minimum weekly benefit and increasing the current 55% replacement rate to at least 66.6%, and allowing parents to access their full entitlement to both EI regular and parental benefits if they lose their jobs right before, during, or soon after parental leave.
Besides a minor temporary measure – increasing the minimum number of weeks of EI benefits available to apprentices from 14 weeks to 18 weeks – there are no investments in ensuring the EI system is there for workers in Canada when they need it.
We have been adamant that the government needs to act on gender-based discrimination in the EI system, and now the Federal Court of Appeal has agreed. That Court recently told the government that denying regular EI job loss benefits to women who have recently received maternity and parental benefits violates their equality rights, and has given the government a year to fix the EI regime. We’re ready to work with the government on this and ensure the Spring Economic Statement reflects the necessary investments.
No further investments in ending the GBV epidemic
In order to end the gender-based violence (GBV) epidemic in Canada, we need strong leadership from the federal government and necessary investments to enable coordinated action and accountability across federal departments, provinces, territories, and community organizations.
LEAF urged the federal government to fund the renewal of a comprehensive Federal GBV Strategy to address GBV at the national level with ongoing funding of $44 million annually, and to create an independent federal GBV Commissioner to monitor the implementation of the National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence and future efforts, with an annual budget of $3 million.
Budget 2026 acknowledges that “gender-based violence continues to have devastating impacts on individuals, families, and communities across Canada” and mentions the four-year $607.4 million commitment to advancing the next phase of the National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence previously made in July 2026, but includes no further investments in ending gender-based violence in Canada.
The GBV epidemic claims the life of one woman or girl every 48 hours in Canada. We are disappointed that addressing this crisis by building on previous investments to end GBV is not a priority in Budget 2026.