A quick look into how the federal budget impacts Milton

“A bright future for Canadians.”

Milton MP Adam van Koeverden is a big fan of the recently announced federal budget.

He commends Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland for her work on putting together Canada’s budget.

When looking over the budget, here are some highlights:

$30 billion over the next five years, and $8.3 billion ongoing for early learning and child care and Indigenous early learning and child care. The plan would aim to see an average drop in fees next year by 50 per cent for preschooler daycare spaces and an average of $10-a-day care by 2026;
$3 billion over five years, starting in 2022-23, to Health Canada to support provinces and territories in improving standards for long-term care. The government says this funding will keep seniors safe and improve their quality of life;
$2.2 billion in Canada’s bio-manufacturing and life-sciences sector to rebuild Canada’s national capacity in bio-manufacturing and vaccine development and production;
Introducing legislation to establish a federal minimum wage of $15 per hour, rising with inflation, with provisions to ensure that where provincial or territorial minimum wages are higher, that wage will prevail;
A new Canada Recovery Hiring Program to provide eligible employers with a subsidy of up to 50 per cent on the incremental remuneration paid to eligible employees between June 6 and November 20. The program will provide $595 million to make it easier for businesses to hire back laid-off workers or to bring in new ones;
$17.6 billion towards a green recovery to create jobs, build a clean economy, and fight and protect against climate change;
$1 billion over six years, starting in 2021-22, to the Universal Broadband Fund to support a more rapid rollout of broadband projects in collaboration with provinces and territories and other partners;
$18 billion over the next five years to try to narrow the socio-economic gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people, including $6 billion for infrastructure in Indigenous communities, and $2.2 billion to help end the tragedy of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls;
$2.5 billion and reallocate $1.3 billion in existing funding in order to help build, repair or support 35,000 housing units;
Introduce Canada’s first national tax on vacant property owned by non-residents;
Introducing a new tax on the sales, for personal use, of luxury cars and personal aircraft with a retail sales price over $100,000, and boats, for personal use, over $250,000;
Includes $100 billion in new spending over the next three years; and,
Records a $155 billion deficit for 2021-22.

MP van Koeverden says he’s proud of what was put together by the feds.

He adds that this budget was formed and shaped by what the COVID-19 pandemic has become. If we never had to deal with the virus, the budget would look different.

With a focus on supporting local businesses, MP van Koeverden says the feds want to make sure the economy can stay afloat as we work to get through the pandemic.

The housing market is a hot topic for residents here in Milton and across Halton. With prices climbing in the real estate market, and with rental prices being abhorrently high locally, many have begged for affordable housing to be a focus for all levels of government. MP van Koeverden has consistently beaten the drum that Milton needs to find a way to make living financially easier for residents.

COVID-19 vaccines have been the big story over the last four months. With the rollout underway, more than 180,000 doses have already been administered in Halton.

Milton’s vaccination clinic is located at the FirstOntario Arts Centre Milton. Book your appointment here.

Pharmacies are also providing the vaccine, including Total Health Pharmacy in Milton. You can find other local pharmacies offering the COVID-19 vaccine here.

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