Federal budgets in Canada can be massive documents, outlining the country's plans to slash spending, raise taxes and deal with a annual spending of more than $250 billion.
They're also political documents, ways for the government to reach out to voters and score some political points so they can go out there and do more budgets. Last year's announcement on killing the penny, for example, was a way to eliminate $11 million in annual costs, but it made major headlines.
So we've dug into the past 10 years of fiscal highlights to grab some of the interesting, wacky and head scratching ways the Liberal and Conservative governments have crammed in a smorgasbord of cuts and spends.
13 Ways The Budget Has Gone Populist
Volunteer firefighters
Year: 2011
What: Tax credits for volunteer firefighters
Travellers
Year: 2004
What: A reduction in the Air Travellers Security Charge
Adoptive parents
Year: 2005
What: Tax credit of up to $10,000 for adoptive parents for fees related to their adoption.
Parents of active kids
Year: 2006
What: Parents can get a tax credit of up to $500 if children under 16 enrol in fitness activities.
Students
Year: 2007
What: Canadian museums get $5 million to get summer interns
Traveller
Year: 2007
What: Forty-eight hour visits outside of the country gets at $400 limit duty and tax free.
Armed Forces members
Year: 2004
What: Canadian soldiers don't pay income tax while on "high risk operational missions" overseas. It was pegged to cost about $30 million a year.
We politicians feel your pain too
Year: 2010
What: PM, MPs, senators take a wage freeze.
Patriotism
Year: 2008
What: $25-million for 2010 Olympic torch relays.
Truck drivers
Year: 2007
What: Truck drivers can deduct meal expenses of up to 80 per cent from 50 per cent.
Pocket change
Year: 2012
What: Canadian penny eliminated at savings of $11 million.
Funny money
Year: 2010
What: Polymer bills that will last longer, saves $15 million.
Hockey parents
Year: 2013 (reportedly)
Also on HuffPost
