The Globe and Mail reports in its Monday, April 27, edition that in late October, ahead of his federal budget, Prime Minister Mark Carney emphasized that transforming the economy would take time and sacrifices. A Globe editorial says Mr. Carney promised to cut waste and make tough decisions. However, the budget presented by the Liberals shortly after showed little evidence of these sacrifices or difficult choices. The document includes a major cutback, reducing payments to military retirees for medical marijuana. The supposed reduction in public service mainly targets a fraction of the past decade's excess, primarily through attrition and early retirement, lacking true austerity measures. Mr. Carney has announced nothing other than a gas tax holiday. The Liberals have suspended the federal fuel excise tax until Labour Day, a levy of 10 cents a litre of gasoline and four cents on diesel. As tax cuts go, The Globe says it is an egregious waste of money. If the Iran war ends and oil prices start to drop, Mr. Carney's tax cut could become little more than a freebie for summer road-trip enthusiasts. Even in a scenario of prolonged high oil prices, suspending the fuel excise tax is bad social policy.