Prime Minister Mark Carney’s first federal budget has landed with a thud — and a flurry of debate — as it reveals a projected $78.3-billion deficit for the current fiscal year, nearly double what the Liberals forecast a year ago.

The budget, tabled Tuesday, outlines a gradual reduction in the deficit to $56.6 billion by 2029-30, but the steep spending increase has drawn sharp criticism and cautious optimism across Alberta.

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation expressed alarm over the ballooning federal debt, which is expected to hit $1.3 trillion by year’s end. Kris Sims, Alberta director of the federation, said she was “earnestly shocked” by the budget’s spending trajectory.

“The interest charges on the debt are costing taxpayers more than a billion dollars a week. That’s like gathering a

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