On Parliament Hill

2018 Budget Fails Provencher Residents

  • Ted Falk, Author
  • Member of Parliament, Provencher

The Trudeau Liberals’ recent budget is a failure to deliver for Canadian families.

Instead of getting their (out of control) spending under control, they plan to borrow even more money from hardworking Canadians – adding billions more to the national debt.

The deficit for this fiscal year is $18 billion, which is three times higher than what Justin Trudeau promised during the 2015 election. With the budget not projected to be in balance again until 2045, these additional deficits will add $450 billion to Canada’s national debt over the next 27 years.

Under the Trudeau Liberals, government spending has increased by 20%, which is three times faster than the rate of inflation and population growth combined.

Over 90% of Canadian families are already paying more in taxes under the Trudeau Liberals and, after this budget, they will be paying even more.

Here are just a few budget issues important to the people of Provencher:

We all remember last year’s illegal migrant crisis at the Emerson border. The budget calls for $173.2 million in 2018-19 to support claim processing and improve services to the increased number of people seeking asylum in Canada. The Liberals are spending money to manage and care for the people coming in illegally but not to stop the serious national security/public safety problems posed by illegal immigration.

The budget calls for $448.5 million over five years to double the number of placements under the Canada Summer Jobs program by 2019-20, but with the new Liberal Values Test those funds will not be available for many students in Provencher.

The Liberals also plan to spend $50 million over five years to support “local journalism in underserved communities,” including allowing Canadian newspapers to receive charitable status. Let’s be clear: Justin Trudeau’s Liberals have attacked the values of charities in Provencher and now they are considering giving NEWSPAPERS charitable status?

Finally, the budget ignores agriculture and rural infrastructure almost entirely.

While there are several elements within this budget that are positive – the extension of parental leave, expansion of rural broadband capability, a win for credit unions and the possibility of national pharmacare plan – overall, it is another disappointment from this government that time and time again focuses their spending on symbolism rather than governing responsibly.

Justin Trudeau is good at making big promises, he is good at virtue signaling, but no Prime Minister has ever spent so much to achieve so little.