Budget doesn’t do enough for Okanagan, MPs say
The federal budget is not on par with the needs of the Okanagan, area members of parliament told The Herald.
Finance Minister Bill Morneau tabled the 2018 federal budget Tuesday in the House of Commons.
Federal funding of $100 million over five years to support the Canadian Drugs and Substances Strategy and $20 million in emergency finanical assistance for B.C., Alberta and Manitoba were included in the budget, which also proposes $231.4 million over five years across the country to assist with the opioid crisis.
South Okanagan-West Kootenay MP Richard Cannings said there were some welcomed ideas in the Liberal’s budget, but they lack the attached funds necessary to make a difference.
“The government continues to tell Canadians the economy is strong, but most people are not feeling the benefits. While I welcome the new funding (of) some initiatives such as university research and for the protection of land and water, I cannot overlook some of the important initiatives that are missing,” Cannings said.
A lack of mental health funding, a study on pharmacare as opposed to a new program, and only “lip service” to rural broadband are some of the issues Cannings takes with the budget, adding it does not do enough to address economic inequality for everyday Canadians.
“With this budget the Liberals have chosen to continue giving huge tax breaks to rich CEOs and corporations, while asking everyday Canadians to wait their turn and have faith that the government will keep their promises,” he said.
Dan Albas, Conservative MP for the Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola is concerned the distribution of funds across Canada would not bring much to each municipality.
“Are those funds going to be used to help people in the Interiror, particularly in places like Kelowna where we’re struggling, or are they going to other places, or are they even going to see those dollars in a real and tangible way to help people?”
The Liberals are proposing $113.6 million over five years to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation to expand the Rental Construction Financing Initiative, and there is a proposed increase to the amount of loans provided by the rental construction initiative from $2.5 billion to $3.75 billion over the next three years.
For the first time in Canadian history, the budget was put through gender-based analysis, with the Liberals promising legislation which would make gender-based analysis forcing future governments to repeat the analysis based on gender in years to come.
Liberal MP Stephen Fuhr, who represents Kelowna-Lake Country, said it’s a good budget.
“I was happy the federal government addressed it as an issue,” said Fuhr. “The fact the federal government addressed it specifically in the budget with a significant amount of money is important, and there is a longterm commitment.”