Federal Budget Receives Mostly Bad Reviews

Federal Budget Receives Mostly Bad Reviews

Wednesday, March 23, 2011 at 13:22

 

 

Canada may soon be in election-mode, as yesterday’s federal budget did not sit well with any of the opposition parties.

 

All of their initial reaction was to not support the budget, which could trigger an election.

 

The Chief of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nation is also unimpressed with the budget.

 

Chief Guy Lonechild called it possibly the worst budget in history for First Nations people, and he says the national chief, Shawn Atleo, needs to do a better job of lobbying the federal government on First Nations issues.

 

However, northern Saskatchewan’s Member of Parliament Rob Clarke says tax credits in the budget will help volunteer fire departments in Beauval, Big River and Ile-a-la-Crosse, while the government is also setting aside $30 million for federal crime prevention initiatives.

 

And, Saskatchewan’s Minister of First Nations and Metis Relations Ken Cheveldayoff says the province has similar priorities and welcomes forgivable student loans for doctors and nurses working in the North.

 

However, Saskatchewan’s lone liberal MP Ralph Goodale contends there’s very little in the budget for First Nations and Metis citizens and says much of the government’s money is tied up in jets, jails and corporate tax cuts leaving it with very little capacity.

 

Goodale adds the government’s pension-benefit for seniors is also much less significant than the Tories let on and figures it amounts to less than $2 a day per senior.

 

The North’s Liberal candidate also says there isn’t much in the budget for the north: Gabe Lafond says people across the north want to see federal funding for

infrastructure in municipalities.

 

The NDP candidate in Desnethe-Missinippi-Churchill River also doesn’t like the budget.

 

Lawrence Joseph says no one knows how much the government’s “get tough on crime” bill will cost and finds that troubling.

 

In addition, Athabasca MLA, NDP’s Buckley Belanger says the budget does not help the North with highways or the increasing costs for seniors to travel for healthcare.