January 27, 2009

Ottawa – Today the Conservative government tabled Budget 2009 – Canada’s Economic Action Plan – a bold multi-year approach t stimulate the economy and protect the country during the current global recession.

“While Canada’s coping with a global economic downturn, our plan will ensure we emerge even stronger as the economy recovers,” said Guy Lauzon. “The targeted and temporary measures will build on Canada’s long-term strengths, while Helping address short-term challenges.”

The plan will provide almost $30 billion in support, equivalent to 1.9% of GDP, to the Canadian economy this year. Ontario will especially benefit from the plan, through:

• Action to Build Infrastructure by providing Ontario with its share of $4.5 billion over two years for infrastructure projects such as road, water and sewer system upgrades across the province. It also accelerates payments up to $75 million over two years for additional infrastructure projects.
• Action to Reduce Taxes and Freeze EI Rates by providing the people and businesses of Ontario with tax relief of $9.1 billion over the next five years and providing billions to keep EI rates low for 2009-10
• Action to Stimulate Housing Construction by providing billions to build quality social housing stimulate construction and enhance energy efficiency. The new renovation tax credit will provide up to $1,350 per homeowner, which will benefit Ontario homeowners by up to $1.3 billion over two years.
• Action to Improve Access to Financing for businesses to obtain the resources they need to invest, grow and create new jobs and give consumers the adequate financing they need
• Action to Help Canadians Hit Hardest by the Economic Downturn including enhancements to Employment Insurance and more funding for skills and training.
• Support for Businesses and Communities by protecting jobs and supporting sectoral adjustments during this extraordinary crisis with $7.5 billion in extra support for sectors, regions and communities such as the forestry and manufacturing sectors.

Ontario, and our riding specifically, will also benefit from specific initiatives targeted to our region including more than $1 billion over five years in programs to help workers, communities and business in the area; an additional $407 million to VIA Rail Canada to support improvements to the Quebec City to Windsor Corridor; a share of $2 billion to support deferred maintenance and repair projects at post-secondary institutions; $15 million for the restoration of federal bridges in Ontario; an additional $81 million over the next two years to accelerate the cleanup of federal contaminated sites and $80 million to modernize and expand border service facilities, including at Prescott.

In addition to these measures, Ontario will continue to receive historically high and growing federal transfers in 2009-10 that will total $15.8 billion- an increase of $1.5 billion from last year and a $4.3 billion increase over the former Liberal government. What’s more, Ontario will see growing health ($9.6 billion) and social ($4.2 billion) transfers to help the province pay for vital health care, educational, and social services families depend on.

“With this plan, Canada and Ontario will emerge from this global recession with better infrastructure, a more skilled labour force, lower taxes and a more competitive economy,” said Guy Lauzon. “This is the plan Canadians wanted, and this is the plan that ensure that create and maintain jobs for today and tomorrow