Fedeli disappointed in federal budget

North Bay Mayor Vic Fedeli says Finance Minister Ralph Goodale’s federal budget didn’t include “more support” for municipalities.

“I’m disappointed by that,” Fedeli said, “particularly when you go back to Paul Martin’s pledge last December to overhaul the way cities got their funding.

Martin, Fedeli said, stated traditional revenue streams such as property taxes were no longer enough for municipalities, to quote him, ‘to repair their crumbling infrastructure,’ and he went so far as to promise municipalities would receive a portion of the federal government’s gas tax.”

Wait another year
The budget, Fedeli said, “didn’t even mention that.”

“So it looks like we’ll have to wait another year for the massive funding boost we were promised as part of Paul Martin’s new deal,” Fedeli said.

While the budget is balanced and “fiscally responsible,” with more money allocated for health care and education” Fedeli said, “unfortunately as mayor I can only look at the municipal side and repeat my disappointment from that aspect.”

Committed to GST rebates
Nipissing MP Bob Wood says while there seems to be nothing specific for Northern Ontario in the budget, there will still be benefits from it to the area.

“For one thing the federal government committed to providing $7 billion dollars over the next 10 years in GST rebates to municipalities, retroactive to February 1st of this year. I understand that will mean about $750,000.00 a year to the city of North Bay alone.”

The budget also proposed that talks soon get underway with the provinces on the best way to rebate some of the federal taxes on gasoline.

Tax relief to Canadian soldiers
Wood also said the $1 billion Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund is being accelerated from 10 years to five, effectively doubling the funding available under the program for the next five years.”

“It’s hoped that millions of dollars from this program will be committed to North Bay’s water treatment facility.”

In the Defence aspect of the budget, Wood says the federal government is offering $30 million in tax relief to Canadian soldiers serving on high-risk international missions; providing more than $600 million in new funding for the Defence department over two years; and contributing $1.5 million to the Juno Beach Centre in Normandy to recognize the sixtieth anniversary this year of the World War II raid.

Good news budget
Other good news aspects of today’s budget, Wood said, are on the health front, “with $400 million to enhance provincial immunization programs, another $1 billion to public health initiatives, and $400 million will be transferred to create a new Canada Public Health Agency, to be able to spot outbreaks earlier and mobilize emergency resources sooner.”

Lower income Canadians will also be receiving financial help in the field of education.

Wood describes the budget as “good news to most Canadians while at the same time keeping our own economy at a surplus – the only G-7 nation to have a surplus budget for three years.”

Anthony Rota, the Nipissing-Timiskaming Liberal candidate, called the budget a "typical" Paul Martin Budget.

"It's solid, balanced and prudent,” Rota said.

“This budget emphasizes the need to live within our means. It emphasizes sound financial management and spending controls."

Rota characterized the budget as "not your typical" pre-election budget.

“It was great to see the money that is available is being directed towards areas Canadians have said are important - Healthcare, Education and Municipal concerns,” said Rota.

The Liberal candidate was also pleased that the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister are committed to additional military funding, based on the completion of the foreign affairs and military review due this fall.

Under Martin, the budgets have been balanced for the past 7 years and the debt reduced by $50 billion, Rota said.

“Thanks to the Liberals and Paul Martin, we are the envy of the G7 nations and the only member to have a balanced budget,” concluded Rota.