Federal budget described as having a little bit for a lot of people

By VALERIE MACDONALD, NORTHUMBERLAND TODAY

Posted 11 months ago

NORTHUMBERLAND -- Tuesday's federal budget is the launch pad for an early-May election, politicians of all political stripes say.

Both incumbent Conservative MP Rick Norlock and local Liberal riding candidate Kim Rudd said they are ready to open party electioneering offices as soon as the writ is dropped. It's anticipated as early as the end of the week. (Local Green Party candidate Ralph Torrie was unavailable for comment by press time and the head of the local riding NDP Association, Russ Christianson, is out of the area until March 29.)

Everything hinges on a nonconfidence vote which could happen today or Friday, Norlock said. If that happens, Prime Minister Stephen Harper would meet with Governor General David Johnston and then there would be the official election call.

"I'll be ready to go Monday," Norlock said, adding that Rudd's election team has already secured one piece of real estate that he had been eyeing for one of his own campaign offices.

Tu e s d a y 's federal budget is being described as having a little bit for a lot of people and, therefore, a good document for the ruling minority PC party to take on the election trail.

While it contains some social assistance for the elderly, caregivers and children, it did not meet the priorities laid out by NDP leader Jack Layton. Both Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff and Parti Quebecois leader Gilles Duceppe had already indicated they would not support it, so the deciding comments on the little time left in this sitting of Parliament came from NDP leader Jack Layton. As he emerged from the House of Commons following the very brief budget speech by Conservative Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, Layton told reporters, "We will not be supporting this budget as it was presented here today."

The budget contained the following key ingredients:

* a new family caregiver tax credit of up to $300 annually for dependent children, spouse or common-law partners' care;

* a children's arts tax credit of up to $75 annually;

* a tax credit of up to $450 annually for qualifying volunteer firefighters;

* doctors and nurses serving in underserved, rural areas would have their loans forgiven up to a maximum of $40,000 for the former and $20,000 for the latter, over five years;

* single, low income seniors now receiving the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) would receive another $600 per year and a senior couple, another $840;

* the energy retrofit fund was extended for another year, by $400 million;

* $100 million was committed to both Canadian brain research and improving food inspections in Canada; and

* a $1,000 hiring credit for small business was included along with continuation of capitol cost allowance for business equipment acquisitions.

Contrary to Rudd's claim that the Mains and Estimates threatened Eastern Ontario Development Program (EODP) economic development and job growth funding, two more years of $10 million in funding for each year, was committed in the budget, Norlock said. Northumberland CFDC receives this important funding.

Both he and Minister of State for Science and Technology Gary Goodyear in separate telephone interviews immediately following the federal budget said Rudd should e-mail Ignatieff and ask him to vote in favour of the budget because she realizes the importance of continuing EODP. Both Tory MPs said Rudd shouldn't have extrapolated in that fashion from the Treasury Board document that the program was being disnd if that wasn't the case, then Rudd was just politicking.

"I call on her to stop pretending," Goodyear said.

If the Liberal leader and other Liberal MPs won't support her commitment to the EODP and to vote for the budget, then she has "no other option than to resign as the candidate," he said.

"I did fight for the program and will continue to fight for it," Rudd responded.

Bringing the Mains and Estimates document to light caused a stir and ensured the funding he said.

"I'll take some credit for that being in the budget."

The OEDP funding isn't all that's needed to improve the rising unemployment rate (now at 11.4% in this region) and Rudd said she was looking for something new in the budget to address that, but there was nothing.

While encouraged at the GIS increase for seniors, Rudd said she was disappointed that there were no Canadian Pension Plan improvements. Another aspect of the budget Rudd supports is the volunteer firefighter tax credit and the family tax credit for caregivers -- but she noted low-and medium-income families will not benefit from it because it is in the form of a tax credit based on income.

"And again there was nothing about child care.... Not a word," said the former childcare facilities operator and long-time advocate.

"We only have regulated child care for 20% of the children who need it," Rudd said.

Calling it "one of the slimmest budget in a long time," Norlock noted that the annual deficit of $29.6 billion for 2011/12 will be balanced by 2014/15. There is an estimated surplus of $4.2 billion by 2015/16, part of which can start to pay down the federal debt, he said.

Northumberland Poverty Reduction Action Committee chair Lois Cromarty identified three key elements missing from the federal budget: a national low-income housing strategy; a national child care strategy; and economic development and job creation specifically for rural ridings such as Northumberland-Quinte West.

"It's disappointing not to see them," she said.

The Help Centre's Mary Anne Rowlands said the GIS increase for seniors "is not anywhere near the amount needed to help people.... It's still not enough."

Port Hope and District Chamber of Commerce president Terry White said there was not a lot in the federal budget for small business outside of the $1,000 hiring credit and capital cost allowance on equipment.

"Basically that's it," he said. "We rely on small-and medium-sized business to run our economy.

"More could have been done for them."

White was, however, pleased that EODP funding was the Northumberland CFDC.

"A lot of small businesses in our area rely on CFDC funding," he said.

Cobourg Mayor Gil Brocanier called it a "pretty ho-hum budget" with little for municipal governments. While he said he was pleased to see confirmation of s tax funding for transportation systems like Cobourg's transit, he wanted some economic stimulus funding to continue.

"You don't turn on the tap full blast and then shut it off (completely)," he said.

"They could have left a trickle."

The chambers of commerce in Cobourg and Port Hope are holding a joint budget breakfast early Friday morning at which members will get a chance to hear details and ask Norlock questions. Contact either office to book a seat and watch for coverage of the meeting and the status of the anticipated federal election in next Monday's issue of Northumberland Today and at www.northumberlandtoday. com.

vmacdonald@northumberlandtoday.com