TARGETING THE MIDDLE CLASS
Liberals unveil Budget 2019
Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante says she welcomes the federal budget tabled in Ottawa on Tuesday, saying it recognizes the central role municipalities play.
“In this budget, we see Ottawa’s willingness to help municipalities develop structural projects,” she said at a press conference at city hall.
“I see the intentions of the federal government. It’s really aligned with our priorities as well.”
The budget offers nothing specific for the Pink métro line, a cornerstone of Plante and her Projet Montréal’s election platform in 2017.
However, the budget offers a one-shot, $2.2-billion transfer of revenue from the federal gas tax to fund infrastructure in Canadian municipalities, which will provide Montreal with additional revenue for the Pink Line and other projects, particularly upgrades to the city’s water network.
While it’s unclear how much Montreal will receive from the gas tax transfer, the Union des municipalités du Québec (UMQ) said in a statement that it expects $500 million to come to municipalities in the province.
For its part, the Toronto Region Board of Trade said in a statement that it “would have preferred a long-term commitment to municipalities” over what it called a “modest $2.2-billion municipal top-up to infrastructure” for this year.
Plante also noted that the federal budget will provide municipalities with $10 billion for affordable housing as well as financial incentives to purchase a first home, funding to tackle homelessness and $30.5 billion over five years to fight the opioid crisis in Canada.
While Plante said nothing negative about the budget, the UMQ said it “would have wished for an extra effort to support regional economic development, notably in the areas of air and maritime transportation.” The association, which represents municipalities that combined have 85 per cent of the population of Quebec, said “it’s urgent that Canada reinvest in its maritime ports and airports. Neglected, they no longer meet today’s standards.”