March 19, 2019

In Budget 2019: Investing in the Middle Class, the Government of Canada reaffirms our plan for real change through supporting the growth and development of the middle class and those working hard to join it. As the Member of Parliament for Labrador, I am especially pleased that Budget 2019 continues with the unprecedented and historic investments in infrastructure, environmental protection, skills training, internet connectivity, Indigenous initiatives, and health and social services all across the Big Land.

Today, the Minister of Finance, the Hon. Bill Morneau, tabled Budget 2019—Investing in the Middle Class, which proposes to:

• Make homeownership more affordable for first-time buyers by implementing a First-Time Home Buyer Incentive, a shared equity mortgage program that would reduce the mortgage payments required to own a home; and by providing greater access to their Registered Retirement Savings Plan savings to buy a home.
• Help workers gain new skills with the creation of a new Canada Training Benefit, a benefit that will give workers money to help pay for training, provide income support during training, and, with the cooperation of provinces and territories, offer job protection so that workers can take the time they need to keep their skills relevant and in-demand.
• Help Canadians with the cost of prescription drugs by taking steps toward a national pharmacare plan, starting with creating a new Canadian Drug Agency that could lower Canadian’s drug costs by as much as $3 billion per year, developing a national formulary for prescription drugs, and a national strategy for high-cost drugs for rare diseases.
• Support municipalities’ local infrastructure priorities by proposing a one-time top-up of $2.2 billion through the federal Gas Tax Fund that will double the Government’s commitment to municipalities in 2018-19, and make sure communities have the funds they need to pay for crucial repairs and other important local projects.
• Give all Canadians access to high-speed internet so that all Canadian homes and businesses have access to 50 Mbps high-speed internet no matter where they live—including people and businesses in rural, remote and northern communities.
• Improving the Economic Security of Seniors through enhancements to the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) earnings exemption and the Canadian Pension Plan (CPP) so that seniors can keep more money in their pockets and receive the full benefits they are entitled to. Furthermore, Budget 2019 proposes to introduce new measures to enhance the security of workplace pensions in the event of corporate insolvency to protect the hard earned pensions of workers all across Canada.
• Advance reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples through new measures to help improve the quality of life for First Nations, Inuit, and Metis people of Canada and advance self-determination with investments to improve water quality; preserve, revitalize, and promote Indigenous languages; improve the quality of education and health care for Indigenous children in a culturally relevant way; and promote Indigenous entrepreneurship and business. Specifically for Labrador, Budget 2019 proposes funding to forgive all outstanding comprehensive claim negotiation loans and to reimburse Indigenous governments that have already repaid these loans.
• Building Strong Arctic and Northern Communities through funding to support sustainable development and ensuring that the people who reside in the North can be full participants in and beneficiaries of the region’s growth. Specifically, the Government of Canada is proposing to invest $700 million over 10 years in new and focused funding to ensure that Arctic and northern communities can continue to grow and prosper.

Since 2015, our Government has been steadfast in our plan for real change. Our investments are paying off. Our economy is strong and growing, unemployment is at historic lows, and families have more money to save or spend each month. As Member of Parliament for Labrador, I am especially proud of the historic and unprecedented funding all across the Big Land to spur economic development, building more resilient and safer communities, and address gaps in infrastructure. The future of Labrador is bright and together we will continue to build on this future in solidarity, strength and hope.

Media contact:

Kevin Vianna

819-431-7459

[email protected]