AUTUMN MacDONALD
Observer Reporter
After last week’s federal budget was announced, Cariboo Prince George MP Todd Doherty said he’s “incredibly disappointed.”
“They’ve saddled us with a deficit, raised taxes… we are going to be paying for this,” he said.
Doherty pointed to the lack of a jobs plan and tax increases, specifically for farming families as some of his main concerns.
“They campaigned on a $10 billion deficit, now we’re at $30 billion,” he said.
“And there’s no plan to get out of it.
“My hope is that in making some of their promises and throwing money at it, they’re not just throwing money away.”
Doherty added with more than 100,000 Canadians across the country out of work in the oil and gas industry alone, “Canada`s unemployment rate has increased for three consecutive months, despite the Liberal Government spending billions of dollars during the same time period.
“The Conservatives left the Liberal Government with a $3 billion surplus, and we focused on keeping taxes low and supporting policies that helped create more than a million jobs.
“Conservatives know the recipe for job creation and economic growth: low taxes, free trade and spending taxpayers money responsibly.”
Highlights from Budget 2016:
• A deficit of $29.4 billion this year.
• New child tax benefits starting July 1.
• Changes to EI, extension and supposed easier access.
• Debt growth expect ion of $113 billion by 2020 – 2021. Debt to GDP ratio expected to remain flat at 32 per cent.
• An investment of $8.4 billion for indigenous people, $2.6 earmarked for improved primary and secondary education.
• Increasing student grants by 50 per cent to $3,000 for low income and $1,200 for middle income.
• An increase up to $947 annual for seniors.
• An investment of $120 billion over 10 years in infrastructure with a focus on public transit, water, waste management and housing.
• Phasing out children art and fitness tax credits by end of 2017.
• An investment of $1.9 billion for arts and culture organizations.