Budget has no measures to grow jobs, address youth unemployment: Bob Rae

NEWS RELEASE

LIBERAL PARTY
OF CANADA

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Conservatives present a jobless, divisive budget to Canadians

OTTAWA - The Conservatives have saddled Canadians with a divisive budget that fails to make real investments in job creation, and short-changes baby-boomers and seniors, said Liberals today.

“After Canada experienced zero job growth during the last six months, we expected this budget to have one focus – jobs,” said Liberal Leader Bob Rae. “Unfortunately, this budget has no real measures to grow jobs, and address youth unemployment and Canada’s skills shortage. Moreover, it will worsen income inequality by increasing the qualifying age for the Old Age Security from 65 to 67, and by failing to make tax credits refundable for family caregivers, volunteer firefighters, children’s activities and the disability tax credit.”

In addition to cuts to the Old Age Security, Budget 2012 makes deep ideological cuts to the CBC, the Chief Electoral Officer, the Canadian International Development Agency and Regional Economic Development Agencies.

Meanwhile, the government is imposing growing costs on the provinces, territories and municipalities while spending hundreds of millions of dollars on polling, advertising, bigger jails and expensive fighter jets.

“This is a budget of division that not only pits one generation against another, but also prosperous regions against regions that are suffering,” said Liberal Finance critic Scott Brison. “For example, in Atlantic Canada, this Conservative budget kills the Atlantic Investment Tax Credit, and cuts the Department of Fisheries and Oceans by $79 million a year and the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency by 19 percent of its operating budget. Federal budgets should bring our country together, not pit one region against another.”

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