Tony responds to the budget

NEWS RELEASE

TONY MARTIN, MP

***************************** Victims of recession lose out, banks win big in new budget

“Money for ACR, invasive species, Great Lakes, but many wrong choices” – Tony Martin

OTTAWA – People who lost their jobs and other victims of this recession are the losers in this federal 2010 budget while banks whose profits just doubled hit the jackpot, said New Democrat Leader Jack Layton.

“Budgets are about choices. Mr. Harper has chosen to enrich banks and oil companies, the most profitable corporations in the country, with billions in spending on corporate tax cuts rather than help lift seniors out of poverty by increasing the Guaranteed Income Supplement. Instead, they are promising nothing more than to consult seniors about their poverty. That`s not help. That`s a stalling tactic.   “Mr. Harper hasn’t learned anything from this economic crisis, which was triggered by a lack of regulation and reckless risk-taking by banks and financial speculators. Instead, he’s offering more of the same old policies that got us into trouble in the first place.”

In yesterday’s Speech from the Throne, the Harper government also promised that it would not raise taxes on “hard-working Canadians,” but it did just that in the budget.

“That little box on your pay cheque labeled EI is where they are going to hit, starting in 2011, every wage earner and every employer in the country with $19 billion in new taxes. They’re taking from you and giving to the banks and big oil.”

The tax grab will be worse in Ontario with the new HST tax coming in effect July 1, 2010.

Sault MP Tony Martin welcomed new money for Algoma Central Railway (as part of $32 million in two years for passenger rail), as well as for invasive species Sault’s new centre may be eligible for (under $38 million over two years for Canada’s Invasive Alien Species Strategy) and Great Lakes water cleanup ($8 million).

But Martin and Northern New Democrats are alarmed no new money was announced for FedNor and the new Southern Ontario regional development agency, while the other three in Canada got $14 million more each.

Northern New Democrats are concerned more bad news is in store for FedNor as it did not have a spending line in the government Estimates released Wednesday and FedNor Minister Tony Clement is reported headed to Sudbury Friday for an announcement.

“There is also nothing to address climate change, nothing to protect private pensions or improve public pensions, nothing new on job creation,” Martin said.

Martin said that two good but insufficient measures are: the continuation of the infrastructure spending that New Democrats say should not have an end date and could be better delivered through the gas tax; the extra $3.25 in the Child Tax Benefit, better than nothing but not much help to struggling families.

New Democrats are also concerned for what is not in the budget:

- No funding for Homelessness Partnering Strategy

- No funding for the study of climate science

- No funding or plan for maternal health

- No money for childcare

- No progress toward meeting Millennium Development Goals for foreign aid.

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