Federal budget highlights

$3.2 billion over five years for Canadian science and research, including money for granting councils and Canada Research Chairs, upgrading outdated laboratory facilities and harnessing the power of “Big Data.”

$2.6 billion over five years for a wide array of measures to encourage and foster scientific innovation and gender equality in the field, including encouraging female entrepreneurs and business leaders, revamping procurement and expanding access to broadband internet.

A federal deficit of $18.1 billion, including a $3-billion “risk adjustment,” down from $19.3 billion last year, that’s projected to decline slowly over the next several years, reaching $12.3 billion ($9.3 billion without the $3-billion cushion) by 2022-23.

About $1.4 billion over six years to support Indigenous children in foster care and promote family reunification, plus $400 million over 10 years to upgrade and expand Inuit housing and $500 million for Metis housing.

Plans to “eventually move away” from the disastrous Phoenix pay system for civil servants, including $431.4 million over six years to help address current pay problems, $5.5 million over two years for the Canada Revenue Agency to handle and process related tax queries and returns and $16 million over two years for efforts to find a suitable replacement system.

Higher excise taxes on tobacco products, including a $1 increase on a carton of 200 cigarettes and an adjustment that would see taxes increase with inflation every year, rather than every five years.

$2 billion over five years for international aid through a new International Assistance Innovation program, designed to come up with flexible new financing arrangements, and the Sovereign Loans program.

$155.2 million over five years for a new Canadian Centre for Cyber Security and $116 million over five years for the RCMP to create a National Cybercrime Co-ordination Unit, as well as $236.5 million over the same time frame to support a new national cybersecurity strategy.

$448.5 million over five years to double the number of placements under the Canada Summer Jobs program by 2019-20.

$172 million over five years and $42.5 million a year afterward for the Canada Media Fund to foster the growth of Canadianproduced content.

$75 million over five years, with $11.8 million a year afterward, to bolster Canada’s trade ties with China and Asia.

$191 million over five years to support jobs in the softwood lumber industry, including litigation under the World Trade Organization and NAFTA’s dispute resolution mechanism.

$90.6 million over five years to track down tax evaders and avoiders, plus $41.9 million over five years and $9.3 million a year thereafter to help Canada’s courts deal with the additional caseload.