Contrary local opinions on the 2024 federal budget

The latest federal budget has been released and, to no one’s surprise, the government and the official opposition are at odds.

The 2024 document goes after the country’s highest earners with new taxes to help offset billions in new spending designed to enhance the country's housing supply and social supports. Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland's budget outlines how the Liberals plan to allocate $39.2 billion in net-new spending, while upholding what they call fiscal guardrails.

The Liberals are asking the country’s wealthiest to pay more and Freeland said it would be wrong to pass on more debt to future generations. Public debt charges are on track to grow to $64.3 billion by the 2028-29 fiscal year.

Oxford Conservative MP Arpan Khanna said it’s the same old story being spewed by the Liberals.

“After eight years of Justin Trudeau, this budget is exactly what got us into this mess in the first place. We have had record inflation over the last few years and the budget is doing absolutely nothing to stop that and nothing to bring down interest rates.”

He added inflation rose to 2.9 per cent in March and by bringing in a budget with over $50 million in new spending, it’s a recipe to make things worse.

“You’re putting our essential services, our programs at risk. This is their attempt to try and change the channel. Canadians are tired of paying extra for a bag of groceries and too much for housing. It’s empty promises, more photo ops and no plan to get our country back on track.”

Kitchener Conestoga MP Tim Louis said he liked how his government rolled out budget announcements in stages over the last few weeks.

“It gave Canadians and our community and even myself time to get behind the messaging and find out what kind of programs we are doing. It addressed housing and affordability. Those are the issues I have been hearing about from people in the community for a long time.”

He added the budget addresses those issues responsibly and fairly.

“There are big challenges, and we need some big solutions. We aren’t adding to inflation, and it has been below three per cent for the past three months. If we are careful, and we have been, Canada isn’t going into a recession. We are doing the things we need to do in a responsible way.”

Louis said the targeted support his government is putting out is going to help people and the economy, which will bring the deficit down.

Khanna said the budget will do nothing to make life more affordable for Canadians when it comes to housing and the cost of living.

“We are in a housing crisis. Rent has doubled. Mortgage payments have doubled. Down payments have doubled. Canadians can’t buy homes. We have two million Canadians going to a food bank every month and more are expected to join them this year.”

He added the working class is pushing back against the Trudeau government.

“This is the same prime minister who said budgets balance themselves and he doesn’t think about monetary policy. Sadly, you can’t run your household on a credit card, and you can’t run the country that way.”

When asked if the Liberal-NDP partnership has outworn its welcome with Canadians and his constituents, Louis explained the deal is a positive one.

“The NDP is probably saying we are not doing enough, and the Conservatives are saying we are doing too much. It’s that middle ground I am fairly comfortable being in. We have to work together and cooperate. We don’t agree with everything they say but negotiations are going on and I am sure there are things they wish we would do differently.”

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made it well known this week his government is focusing on the generations of Gen Z and Millennials, something Louis said revolves around allowing more young people to purchase houses.

“We are building more homes. The comprehensive housing plan we are putting out including the housing accelerator fund is making a difference. That funding goes right to our communities to build homes.”

The Liberals have talked recently about the country’s AAA credit rating and a low debt-to-GDP ratio, but Khanna said that doesn’t mean much when you talk to people struggling in Oxford.

“Tell that to a single mother who is struggling to put food on the table for her kids. Tell that line to our seniors on a fixed income who are calling me to say they are asking their children for handouts. Tell that to the average, working-class family who have good jobs and dual incomes who are now saying we are working hard, trying to get by, but we are struggling.”

Lee Griffi, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Wilmot-Tavistock Gazette