MP Glen Motz introduces Conservative Party leadership candidate Pierre Poilievre prior to a speech on April 11 at the Cypress Centre in Medicine Hat.--News Photo Collin Gallant
cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant
The new federal budget is getting a failing grade from Medicine Hat-Cardston Warner MP Glen Motz.
The federal budget was introduced April 7, comprising a Liberal plan to address home prices and inflation, plus manage the recovering economy and boost military support in the face of new global conflicts.
Back in the Hat this past week, Motz told the News the Liberal government isn’t “serious” about Conservative calls to control spending, cut taxes and lay out substantial action on increasing housing supply.
“We didn’t see any of that,” he said, arguing that government spending is the key factor in rising prices and inflation, which is now reaching decades-old highs.
“It fails to provide a plan to get spending under control. That will have negative consequences for a large number of people.”
He said the budget recognizes a need to modernize the military, but highlights past inaction, and provides a piecemeal approach to roaring home prices.
“There’s smatterings of things … but not as much as we had hoped, and on housing supply, the plan is sort of a rebate plan that hasn’t worked at all so far,” he said.
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland outlined $10 billion in spending to address housing inventory – a chief concern according to economists and the Conservatives – including $4 billion for a rapid-housing accelerator fund and a newly styled first-time home buyer’s account, similar to the Tax-Free Savings Account.
The budget would cut the deficit by two-thirds to $113 billion this year from highs of pandemic programs in 2021. It is forecast to fall in half again in 2023 to $52 billion, but annual shortfalls above $10 billion per year are predicted until 2027.
“Overall I’m disappointed,” said Motz.
In terms of agriculture, Ottawa maintained spending, but “re-announced” in Motz’s opinion, $400 million related to climate action items like grants for crop rotation and carbon reduction, but little new in the way to help producers.
On Indigenous affairs, Motz would have preferred more effort to move to self-determination for groups, such as the Blood Reserve near Cardston.
A complete military review could have long-term implications for CFB Suffield and the Defence Research facility there, said Motz, especially considering overtures of higher research spending.
But, he said, the immediate increase is aimed at updating NORAD and recent reactivation of a program to modernizing fighter jets, and operational capacity must be the immediate focus.
“I think it’s woefully inadequate. Over the years the Liberals have failed to invest billions of dollars promised in spending.”
