Folks, we just released Budget 2019, and it’s good news for Dartmouth-Cole Harbour.
From protecting pensions, to first-time home buyer incentives, to autism support, there’s a lot to go over! Here are a few budget snippets, and I encourage you to have a read through the plan itself, the link in the bottom.
Budget 2019 proposes that the Halifax Regional Municipality would receive a solid top-up of more than $26 million through the Federal Gas Tax Fund for 2018/2019. This is huge, because the funds can be used for local infrastructure priorities like wastewater and drinking water, sport and recreation projects, cultural and tourism projects, and more!
We’ve introduced the First-Time Home Buyer Incentive to make home ownership more affordable. It would give eligible first-time home buyers the ability to lower their borrowing costs by sharing the cost of buying a home with CMHC. The Incentive would provide funding of 5-10% of the home purchase price. No ongoing monthly payments are required. The buyer would repay the Incentive, for example at re-sale.
Many folks reached out to me following the insolvency and closure of Sears in Dartmouth, asking us to work toward protecting pensions in Canada. The Budget proposes the introduction of legislative amendments to make insolvency proceedings fairer and more transparent for pensioners and workers.
As you know, I am a strong advocate for National Pharmacare in Canada as I believe that no Canadian should have to decide between paying their rent or paying for the prescription drugs they need. While we await the final report of the Advisory Council on the Implementation of National Pharmacare, we’ve proposed significant action in Budget 2019 to help make prescription drugs more affordable for Canadians. These are meaningful, real steps toward the ultimate goal of National Pharmacare.
I am pleased to see that the Budget proposes an enhancement to the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) that would provide increased take-home pay for low-income working seniors. Many seniors reached out to me, letting me know that they wanted to work part-time, without worrying about their GIS being clawed back- this is the answer.
Last week I met with the Alzheimer’s Society of Nova Scotia, and we discussed the importance of a National Dementia Strategy. The Budget proposes $50 million to support the implementation of Canada’s first-ever National Dementia Strategy. The Government will work with stakeholders and the provinces/territories to deliver the Strategy.
All Nova Scotian Members of Parliament advocated for the Government to fund the Ready, Willing, and Able (RWA) Program. After meeting Iain, of Iain’s Tartan Bakery, I learned about the importance of this program. The Budget includes a $12 million investment in RWA, which will help persons with Autism Spectrum Disorder, and Intellectual Disabilities.
As a Member of the Standing Committee on National Defence, I’ve learned about how important the transition from active-duty to post service life is for Canadian Armed Forces Members. The Budget includes numerous measures to improve this life changing transition for Members as they become Veterans.
American Suicide call lines are receiving more than 20,000 calls per year from Canadian residents. This year’s Budget proposes $25 million to support a pan-Canadian suicide prevention service to provide people across Canada with 24/7 voice/text/chat crisis support from trained responders.
We know that sometimes workers need to retrain for their employment, and that further training can give workers the best chance for success. We’ve proposed a new EI Training Support Benefit that would provide up to 4 weeks of paid leave that could be taken within a 4-year period. The Benefit would provide 55% income replacement while workers train.
We’re delivering on our commitment for a National Food Policy through Budget 2019. Notably, the budget includes a commitment for our Government to work with the provinces and territories to develop a National School Food Program! Organizations like Nourish Nova Scotia have been advocating for this, for some time. Recently I visited Dartmouth South Academy and saw first-hand the difference these programs make in the lives of children.
We’re continuing to make historic investments in health research. We’ve proposed a $18 million investment in the Stem Cell Network’s research for new therapies and medical treatments. We’ve proposed $40 million for the Brain Canada Foundation to help the medical community better understand the brain and brain health so they can improve those affected by neurological injury and disease. I am delighted to see a proposed $150 million investment in the Terry Fox Research Institute to help establish a national Marathon of Hope Cancer Centres Network. The Budget proposes $10 million to Ovarian Cancer Canada to help address existing gaps in knowledge about effective prevention, screening, and treatment options for ovarian cancer. And we’ve proposed a $100 million investment in Genome Canada to ensure that that Canada’s research community continues to have access to the resources needed to make transformative scientific breakthroughs in genomics science.
As you may know, I have been advocating for better incentives for zero-emission vehicles. These vehicles will play a big role as we transition to a low-carbon economy. The Budget proposes solid investments to expand the network of zero-emission vehicle charging and refueling stations. And it includes a Federal Purchase Incentive up to $5,000 for electric or hydrogen fuel cell vehicles retailing less than $45,000! Also, to further support businesses, the Budget proposes that these vehicles by eligible for a full tax write-off in the year they’re put to use!
We want more younger people to get the skills they need to get their first job, and to stay employed. We’ve proposed a modernized Youth Entrepreneurship Strategy to make sure young people have the supports they need to succeed.
As you know, Dartmouth-Cole Harbour is home to great craft breweries, and many others are found right across our province. The Budget (finally) proposes that the Government remove federal barriers to the inter-provincial trade of alcohol.
We’re working to make Canada Student Loans and Canada Apprentice Loans more affordable. The Budget proposes lower interest rates to help students better manage the pressure of higher living costs & the changing nature of work. There’s a new interest-free grace period too!
As you can see, there’s a lot of great news in Budget 2019. I hope you’ll take a chance to have a look at it for yourself. And as always, reach out if you want to chat about it!
