Timmins-James Bay MP Charlie Angus says there are elements of the federal budget he’s pleased with, while others missed the mark or raise "red flags of concern."
Federal Finance Minister Bill Morneau tabled the document this afternoon.
For the Indigenous file, Angus believes it’s status quo when it comes to commitments to housing and boil water advisories. There is one part that he is thankful for though.
“The big, big positive in this, and I actually went up and hugged (Minister of Indigenous Services) Jane Philpott afterwards, which you know you don’t ever see in the House of Commons, but they admitted their legal responsibility to children in the foster care system,” he said.
The budget includes $1.4 billion in new funding over six years for First Nations Child and Family Services.
He said it’s going to have a big impact.
“We’ve lost 11 young people in Ontario, including from our own region, in a broken foster care system, in a year, so I’m really pleased about that, that’s something that’s very close to my heart,” he said.
The document also proposes $172.6 million to improve drinking water on reserve, and $600 million for support housing, both of which would be rolled out over three years.
“On the overall Indigenous file it’s very much status quo and treading water, they made a big promise about ending boiling water advisories but the money isn’t there to get the job done and that’s a problem. On the housing crisis, which is so far beyond crisis now, it’s very much status quo and that will continue to cause lots of problems in the communities,” he said.
Moving forward, the veteran MP will also be keeping an eye on FedNor, which is the federal government's economic development organization in northern Ontario.
The budget includes a section on regional development agencies, and proposes an extra $400 million over five years to support the Innovation and Skills Plan.
It’s what’s not included in the notes that is worrisome.
While it mentions the west and east, southern Ontario and far north, he pointed out that there is no mention of FedNor.
“They talk about consolidating the programs of all regional development, that sounds to me like running this out of the minister’s office and the north will end up losing if that’s the case,” he said.
Creating winners and losers by potentially shifting priorities to bigger projects is also a red flag for him.
He explained that small, resource-based northern communities need FedNor to kick start economic development.
“We don’t know where they’re going on FedNor, but those to me are very worrying signs and I’m going to be staying on them very closely because we need economic development that reflects the needs of Northern Ontario, not the interest of the Liberal government,” he said.
Some other highlights of the 2018 budget are:
- $1.5 billion over five years, and $149 per year ongoing, to improve access to health care in remote and isolated First Nation communities, enhance culturally appropriate addictions treatment and prevention services, and transform the First Nations health systems, and more. This includes support for a hospital and ambulatory facility for James Bay communities.
- $191 million over five years to support jobs in the softwood lumber industry, which is in a tariff dispute with the United States.
- $448.5 million over five years for the Youth Employment Strategy
- Creating the Advisory Council on the Implementation of National Pharmacare, which is being led by former Ontario health minister Eric Hoskins.
More highlights of the budget are available here.
You can see the full budget document here.
