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Federal budget features hits and misses, according to North Island-Powell River MP

Initiatives missing on environment, housing, small business and aboriginal issues, says Rachel Blaney
Rachel Blaney
North Island-Powell River MP Rachel Blaney. Peak archive photo

Canada’s latest budget tabled by the Liberal government received mixed reviews from North Island-Powell River MP Rachel Blaney.

In a media release on Wednesday, March 20, Blaney said she was pleased to see that seniors receiving the guaranteed income supplement and working at the same time will have a higher income threshold before having their benefit suspended. However, they will have to wait another year and a half for this change to take place.

“This is great news for people who can continue to work in their later years but does nothing for seniors who don’t have paid work,” Blaney said. “With nothing in this budget for Canadians living with disabilities, what are we expecting them to do? This budget leaves many low-income seniors living in poverty and we can do so much better.”

As the newly appointed NDP critic for veterans affairs, Blaney welcomed new funding, including $150 million over five years to process disability claims. In 2017/2018, Veterans Affairs Canada only processed 33 per cent of disability claims within the goal of 16 weeks.

"It's too bad this didn't happen sooner" said Blaney. “Our veterans have been made to wait for far too long by consecutive Conservative and Liberal governments."

Blaney was also disappointed at the lack of funding for the environment and climate change aside from a credit for purchasing electric vehicles.

“This government has championed themselves as the ones who would put Canada back on track to fix our environment,” she said. “They supported Gord Johns' (Courtenay-Alberni MP) motion for a framework to tackle the rising levels of plastics in our ocean, yet there is nothing in this budget to actually deal with these issues. Climate change can't wait; we need action now.”

Blaney said there was little support for small businesses, especially those in rural and remote communities like many she represents. The commitment to high-speed internet for everyone in Canada by 2030 is a good talking point, she said, but one that has been alluded to before without providing the funds or plan to get it done in the foreseeable future. The initiative doesn't address other rural issues like the increased costs of doing business or absence of cell service in many areas, according to Blaney.

Regarding Bill C-92, an act respecting first nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth and families, it is currently before the House of Commons, but nothing was included in the budget on the topic of indigenous children in care, according to the release.

“Without that investment, legislation like this is just empty words,” Blaney said.

Finally, on housing, which is consistently a top priority and concern in every community in the riding, aside from the new first-time home buyer's incentive, there is nothing new to help create and provide needed housing, said Blaney.

“Many Canadians are really struggling with issues of affordability and this budget does nothing to help that,” she added. “It's like a willful blindness to the issues that people are facing day-to-day in our communities.”