Ottawa, ON - Conservative MP David Anderson is applauding the 2011 Federal Budget, saying it will have positive benefits for Saskatchewan families, seniors, farmers, hunters and job-creating businesses. The next phase of the Conservative Government’s plan keeps taxes low to promote jobs and economic growth, while supporting Saskatchewan families and seniors.
“This budget has something for everyone. The next phase of our action plan includes help for the average Canadian - small business owners, families, seniors, students, farmers,” said Anderson.
The budget focuses on Supporting Job Creation, Strengthening Families and Communities and Investing in the Economy of Tomorrow.
“This budget impacts many important areas of Southwest Saskatchewan.” Anderson continued, “We need this passed in order to continue with the strong stable government that we have had these past years.”
The benefits for rural Saskatchewan are:
- Enhancing the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) for those seniors who rely almost exclusively on their Old Age Security and the GIS and may be at risk of experiencing financial difficulties. This measure will provide a new top-up benefit of up to $600 per year for single seniors and $840 per year for couples. This measure represents an investment of more than $300 million per year, and will improve the financial security of more than 680,000 seniors across Canada;
- Attracting more health care workers to under-served rural and remote communities by forgiving up to $40,000 of the federal component of Canada Student Loans for new family physicians and up to $20,000 for nurse practitioners and nurses;
- Introducing a new $2,000 Family Caregiver Tax Credit amount that will provide tax relief to caregivers of infirm dependent relatives including, for the first time, spouses, common-law partners and minor children;
- Introducing a new Children’s Arts Tax Credit on up to $500 per child of eligible fees associated with children’s artistic, cultural, recreational and developmental activities;
- Introducing a $3,000 Volunteer Firefighters Tax Credit amount for volunteer firefighters who perform at least 200 hours of service in their communities.
- Providing nearly $870 million over two years to address climate change and air quality, including the extension of the ecoENERGY Retrofit – Homes program that will help homeowners make their homes more energy efficient and reduce the burden of high energy costs.
The Government is also providing $50 million for a two year Agricultural Innovation Initiative that will support knowledge creation and transfer and increased commercialization of agriculture innovations. Agriculture related businesses across Canada, including those in Saskatchewan, will benefit from these investments.
For firearms owners there is also good news. The next phase of Canada’s Economic Action Plan proposes to provide funding of $20.9 million to continue to waive firearms licence renewal fees for all classes of firearms. From May 2011 until May 2012, no firearms owner will have to pay a fee of up to $80 to renew a licence, including gun owners in Saskatchewan.
“These are the initiatives that Canadians had asked us to bring forward. We call on the Opposition parties to support this government and to continue the journey to economic stability. The last thing we need now are higher taxes, economic insecurity and job losses,” said Anderson.
