Local MP disappointed in federal budget

Grande Prairie-MacKenzie MP Chris Warkentin is disappointed in the Liberal government’s budget that was handed down Tuesday.
 
Warkentin says the average family and average business are going to pay more taxes.
 
He says they were expecting to see infrastructure money flow into communities across the country, but that isn’t happening.
 
“Even that was cut. And yet we’re continuing to see the spending out of control.  I’m not exactly sure who in the end is going to benefit, but it certainly won’t be folks in the Peace Country,” he said.
 
He was also hoping the Transmountain Pipeline Expansion would be included.
 
“There was no mention about the plan to move that project forward.  There was no mention of anything to get Albertans working, like people who lost their job in the energy sector over the last several years.”
 
He added there was no mention of support for farmers and how the government was going to ensure grain got to market.
 
“The deficit this year is going to be triple what they promised,” he added. “Eighteen-million dollars added on to growing debts and deficits that this government has been running over the past several years.”
 
Finance Minister Bill Morneau unveiled the budget, titled “Equality and Growth,” in the House of Commons this afternoon.

It projects an $18.1-billion deficit for the coming fiscal year, with no plan to balance the books through to at least 2023.

Women, science, and conservation are among the major themes of the Liberal government’s latest federal budget which includes 21.5-billion dollars in new spending.

 
 
 
 
w/files from the Canadian Press