Centre Block at Parliament Hill (MBC News stock photo)
According to Algonquin-Renfrew-Pembroke MP Cheryl Gallant, average residents of the Ottawa Valley can expect to see higher taxes because of an increase in Canada’s national debt thanks to the government’s latest budget.
In an interview with PembrokeToday.ca, Gallant discussed several aspects of the budget and her thoughts on how they’ll affect residents.
Regarding the rising cost of living, Gallant said the Canada Grocery and Essentials Benefit will help some make ends meet, although she describes it as “deceiving,” saying it’s not really a new benefit but actually a reallocation of money from other benefits that used to be more spread out.
With inflation continuing to rise with no immediate end in sight, Gallant said, the benefit might take the edge off, but it won’t ensure residents can get three meals a day.
The MP also had criticism for the Liberals’ plan to end homelessness in ten years, saying more money being put into multi-unit buildings will help developers make money but won’t have a significant impact on rental prices, and could actually cause them to rise in some places.
According to Gallant, far more people are coming into Canada than the country’s resources can support.
Regarding agriculture, Gallant is pleased that a recent agreement between the Canadian and Chinese governments will see the pause on canola tariffs extended but says the cost of diesel fuel remains a huge issue locally.
High diesel prices mean farmers pay more to do their jobs, which has knock-on effects all the way down the supply chain.
Gallant also said that while recreation funding is available in theory, it’s difficult for small communities like those in our listening area to access that funding, with much of it usually heading to larger cities.
Gallant says funding that makes it to smaller communities often isn’t enough to completely cover the costs of projects. That can lead to higher municipal taxes.
She encouraged municipalities to be frugal and avoid taking on unnecessary additional debt just to ensure their recreation projects qualify for grants.
Overall, Gallant says there are aspects of the budget that she’s hopeful about, like funding being allocated for the national defense budget, but even that has caveats:
Gallant’s biggest issue is debt. She said the interest alone on Canada’s national debt is greater than the entire national defense budget. The MP says the amount is so staggering that many Canadians can’t keep track of and think of it as almost being “invisible” until tax season comes around, but its impact could be severe.
Her final thoughts? “The harder you work, the more you pay.”
(Steve Berard)
