Renfrew Nipissing Pembroke NDP
Media Release for March 26, 2007.
On March 19 2007, the federal Finance Minister, Jim Flaherty, introduced a federal budget that was long on words and short on actual long-term support for many working class Canadians, families and young people.
Instead it maintained over $9 billion in corporate tax cuts. This includes extending the corporate tax advantages for big oil and gas companies until 2015—another eight years. During that time, the Conservative government will hand over millions of dollars a year in tax benefits to the oil sands.
“This budget does nothing to close the prosperity gap between rich and poor and will only marginally help the hard-working people of our riding. Wḛre very disappointed,” said the NDP Riding Association President for Renfrew, Pembroke, Nipissing, Sue McSheffrey. “The government has totally missed the boat on affordable child care, long-term energy conservation, support for students who face skyrocketing tuition fees and student debt, as well as affordable housing.”
An analysis done by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) earlier this year suggests that by 9:46 am on January 2 2007, the average CEO in Canada had earned $38,010.00. That's the annual income of the average Canadian. The centre was looking at the 2005 salary figures of the top 100 CEOs in Canada.
ProvincialThis budget has done nothing to close this prosperity gap between the rich and the poor.
“Low income parents and working students are particularly disadvantaged in this budget with regard to higher education,” added Ms. McSheffrey. “Despite the fact that the Conservatives say they plan to build a ‘knowledge advantage’, many parents cannot afford to send their kids to college or university, and students are forced to work to afford tuition fees or to pay back crippling student loans.”
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