The member of Parliament for Wellington-Halton Hills in Ontario calls the federal budget a ‘fiscal fantasy.’
Conservative MP Michael Chong tells CJOY and Global News that the 2023 budget tabled by the minority Liberal government on Tuesday will do nothing to stop inflation and will not help create new jobs for Canadians.
“In one part of the budget, they are undertaking initiatives that will further fuel inflation,” said Chong. “(In) the other part of the budget, the government is addressing the problem they helped create by providing this rebate.”
That rebate is a one-time funding that is being delivered through the GST credit that is designed to help low-income Canadians who are struggling with high food prices.
“Many residents in Guelph and Wellington County feel the increasing costs of groceries and housing,” Chong said. “They know that things are getting less affordable and it is because of this government’s economic policies.”
Finance minister Chrystia Freeland spoke in the House of Commons when she presented the budget saying the government is ensuring that they can continue to invest in Canadians for years to come.
“Investments in Canadians is also investments in our economy,” Freeland said.
Chong believes that the budget should have put more focus on long-term investments in critical infrastructure.
“Our infrastructure in southern Ontario is not world-class,” said Chong. “People every day as they try to get to work are either stuck in traffic or are unable to use transit.”
The federal budget projects a $40.1 billion deficit in this fiscal year. It includes $13 billion towards the Canada dental benefit, one of the items that the NDP had requested the Liberals put in the budget in exchange for support of the minority government in confidence motions.
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