By Doug Draper
The latest federal budget – tabled by Canada’s Conservative government this February 11th – is a good one for a Niagara Region that suffers one of the highest employment rates in the country, says Niagara Falls Conservative MP Rob Nicholson.
Niagara Falls MP and Canadian Defense Minister Rob Nicholson
In an interview with Niagara At Large less than an hour after Canada’s Finance Minister Jim Flaherty tabled the government’s 2014 budget – Nicholson, who is also the country’s Defense Minister, told NAL that the budget sets us “on the right track” for a more prosperous future.
Asked by NAL about the high level of youth unemployment in Niagara – hovering around 17 per cent – Nicholson said young people will see their job prospects improve “when the economics is being properly managed.”
There will be more federal money for improving and building infrastructure in the budget, but Nicholson said he does not no yet where that infrastructure money might be spent in Niagara.
As far as the cross-border shopping situation is concerned and promises Flaherty made to close the gap between the prices of groceries and other goods sold in stores here and those in Buffalo or Niagara Falls, New York, Nicholson responded that around how the government goes about addressing an “unjustifiable price discrepancy” is something we “are going to have to see in the details.”
Obviously, many Canadians who find themselves unemployed or under-employed or who are otherwise struggling to live a life outside of desperation and poverty will be looking forward to those details.
Meanwhile, there are many others who have waded in to the pros and cons of the federal budget. We are posting two such commentaries, submitted to Niagara At Large here – one from the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce which is pleased with the budge, and one from a cross-country, not-for-profit organization, the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, which is not so pleased.
At the end of it all, we encourage you to wade in with your thoughts, just so long as you remember that this site only posts comments from individuals willing to attaché their real first and last names to them, and you keep your comments relatively civil.
Federal Budget to Assist Niagara in Tackling Key Issues to Building a Stronger Economy
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – February 12, 2014, Niagara, Ontario – Renewed efforts to tackle youth unemployment, address skills shortages and remove barriers to both international and inter-provincial trade were all positive aspects to be taken from the unveiling of the proposed 2014 Federal Budget.
“We are pleased to see that two of our Chamber’s current advocacy priorities for Niagara – tackling youth unemployment, and helping small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) become more export ready – are aligned with those identified by the Federal Government in the proposed 2014 Budget,” says Walter Sendzik, CEO of the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce. “Federal initiatives aimed at lowering youth unemployment and removing barriers to trade have the potential to play an important role in strengthening Niagara’s economy.”
Last month the Chamber launched the Niagara Exporters Council, a business council intended to identify the challenges Niagara’s SMEs face in becoming export ready and help them explore opportunities to expand into binational, inter-provincial and international markets. The proposed federal budget demonstrates a similar focus on identifying measures that currently restrict businesses from operating across provincial and international borders.
“The Government of Canada’s renewed commitment to mobilize strategic partnerships across all levels of government and the private sector in the pursuit of a more coordinated national trade effort is encouraging, especially in light of our Chamber’s recent work on this issue,” explains Kithio Mwanzia, Director of Policy and Government Relations, who was in Ottawa for the budget announcement. “More specifically, the government’s continued pledge to take action to allow Canadians to take beer and spirits across provincial boundaries for personal use is something that our Chamber has consistently advocated for.”
The budget also focused on closing skills gaps and reducing youth unemployment. As noted in the Chamber’s Blueprint for Economic Growth and Prosperity, in order to build a 21st Century Workforce, a commitment to proactively engage Niagara’s emerging generation workforce will result in attracting, developing and retaining a labour force that reflects the present economic trends and meets the future needs of Niagara’s emerging industries. As part of the Federal Government’s proposed 2014 Budget plan, there is an emphasis on linking young Canadians to available jobs through renewed federal funding for internships and apprenticeships in high-demand sectors. The proposed 2014 Budget pledges $40 million to go towards supporting 3,000 full-time internships for post-secondary graduates, and $15 million reallocated annually to support 1,000 internships for SMEs.
“With Niagara’s stubbornly high unemployment and youth unemployment rates, we are optimistic that the Government of Canada has outlined this issue as a priority,” explains Sendzik. ”Targeted measures like this will help rejuvenate Niagara’s skilled trades by promoting job creation and tackling youth unemployment.”
The budget, presented yesterday by Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, demonstrates a continued commitment to balancing the Federal books and eliminating the $17.9 billion budget deficit by 2015. The budget’s focus on addressing Canada’s skills shortages and removing trade barriers for SMEs will both have a direct impact of Niagara’s economy, and have the potential to bring more jobs and increased prosperity to the region.
The Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce is the champion for the Niagara business community. With over 1,500 members representing more than 36,000 employees, it is the largest business organization in Niagara and the third largest Chamber in Ontario.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, FEBRUARY 11, 2014
Federal budget contains largest spending cuts to date
OTTAWA— The 2014-15 federal budget contains the largest annual spending cuts to date, says the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA).
There are $14 billion worth of spending cuts announced in previous budgets that will come into effect this fiscal year. Those cuts will cause real damage to Canada’s fragile economy, by removing 0.7% from the country’s already anemic GDP growth.
“The government is happy to re-announce infrastructure funding from previous budgets but what it isn’t telling you is that there are $14 billion worth of previously announced spending cuts already built into this year’s budget,” says CCPA Senior Economist David Macdonald. “Canadians can expect to see more and deeper cuts to services and a sluggish economy as a result.”
“If previous cuts are any indication, there will be further reductions to front line services, like those in Veteran’s Affairs and the Coast Guard,” says Macdonald. “All this so the government can implement its promise of extending income splitting to families with children—a hugely expensive tax cut that 86% of families won’t benefit from.”
The federal budget will do little to boost Canada’s weak labour market. Since 2009, the reduction in the unemployment rate has been 20% due to the jobless finding work and 80% due to them giving up looking.
“The entire decline in youth unemployment from its worst in 2009 was due to jobless young people giving up their search, not finding a job. The 3,000 youth internships in this budget will have no substantive impact,” says CCPA Senior Economist Armine Yalnizyan. “This is no time for small measures. An entire generation of young workers is on the line and the federal government has a serious role it could be playing.”
The CCPA calls on all parties to review its Alternative Federal Budget, which proposes solutions that connect with what matters to Canadians: income inequality, job creation, health care, and climate change.
(Niagara At Large invites you to share your views on this post. A reminder that we only post comments by individuals who share their first and last name with them.)
Niagara At Large 
What a joke this budget was!!!!!!
Nothing mentioned about the FACT that the incremental taxes stolen from us the tax payer due to inflated electricity and fuel is when you do the math, largely the reason this government is anywhere near balancing the budget.
It had nothing to do with cost cutting,,,,, it had to do with the continuous rape and pillaging that we the tax payer of this country and province have had to endure for years.
Feeling like wretching…. I am very happy that you are stealing more taxes from me because I drive to work, cook using electricity and heat my home with fuel…… BOY O BOY you are HEROES in my BOOK!
By the way Rob….. Dean Allison, Stephen Harper, Wynn (forgot her first name, I find her that memorable!) have all not responded to continuous emails from me regarding this subject.
This budget is a joke as is your party and all the CURRENT political parties of this country and in my case the province of Ontario.
Now if I can get past the bile …. I am going to eat my dinner cooked using superinflated electricity that is super taxed!
You and your party are just sheep in the SAME clothing…..
You ALL have to GO!!!!!!!!
Just sayin……
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Doug I trust you get the sense that I am not aligned with any party/politician from the municipality to the federals by now!
Something I forgot….. How about it if the federal conservatives stopped importing votes in the form of immigration. . Perhaps all those entry level jobs might come in handy to our youth who typically depend on them to get their foot in the door of long-term employment.
Just addin……
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It seems MP Nicholson of Niagara Falls and Walter Sendzik, CEO of the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce must be reading a completely different budget then the one read and “Studied” by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA). A group more concerned with Canada and the future of the Canadian People then…. with….. which MP NIcholson and Walter Sendzik seems to be shilling for in supporting Corporate Canada and only the richest families in Canada.
In the past I had on several occasions called NIcholson’s office in Niagara hope to enlist his support for the Seniors and those people attempting to live on Disability pensions. I was told by his office staff that no one lives on OAS and that OAS is only meant as a supplement to Private pensions, Personal Savings and Investment Income. This is the answer one gets when WE ask for support from our so called REPRESENTATIVES?
Recently, actually within the last week I was informed by a friend in Buffalo that her Social Assistance Pension had risen by $25.00 per month and she could not believe it when I told her ours in Canada had just been raised by $0.50… I replied “ONLY IN CANADA” and she shook her head saying CANADA has sure CHANGED…….
It seems People like MP Nicholson and Walter Sendzik truly have agendas that do not include the, old, the sick, the poor and the
disenfranchised and that is the tragedy that has become the reality here in Canada….God Bless Canada? I think these people will say God Help Me for they seem to know they are NOW considered to be a non entity in this country called Canada.
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Rob Nicholson seems to imply that the economy hasn’t been properly managed to date. Maybe he needs to be reminded that his party has had a majority for several years now. When are they going to get it right? (Hint: that’s a rhetorical question.)
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While I appreciate the sentiment of the Chamber of Commerce, I don’t think they have the population at heart when responding to budgets. What they do have an interest in is a short term, self interested idea that smaller taxes results in a greater amount of jobs. We can point to the past two years of the lowest corporate tax of all OEDC countries yet we have a continuing job loss and growing. Together with what Harper and Hucak suggest in terms of “right to work” legislation will result in a pauper population competing with third world pauper populations for ever lower wages, deregulation’s and social and infrastructure programs that will slowly disappear due to a decrease of the tax base from corporate, business and individuals.
The economic format we have been using ever since NAFTA has resulted in our way of life changing for the worse in spite of the promises that free trade agreements would result in growth and prosperity. The question to be asked is what happened? And now we find that the few wealthy are suggesting that we further erode our way of life while the wealthy prosper? I tell you that unless those that are making the rules see the writing on the wall, we are doomed to ever decreasing programs, loss of jobs and underemployment and an eroding of infrastructure.
We need to fight the corporate rule that has taken over in the west or we will be subject to millions living in poverty while the few increase their wealth at the cost of everyone else. If this continues, I have no doubt that a clash of ideas will result in everyone losing.
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Pretty typical pinko commie rhetoric Gerry….. Let’s screw business…. The people are everything…… Well why don’t you go to Russia and see how that worked there! No foreign investment, lines for bread…… come on give your head a shake.
As for the reduction of taxes not impacting our attractiveness… well if you consider our fuel and electricity costs negate any tax incentive there is in this country and the productivity of our work force is less than our competition you would understand why businesses don’t set up shop here (other than the oil sands)…..
Just sayin…..
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“Pinko commie rhetoric”? You and Tiny Tim really need to crack an up-to-date economics textbook. Heck, even the IMF doesn’t see it your way.
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Greg. As Fiona suggested, I think you need a bit of education. I am reminded of a close relative who was a vice president of a very large firm in Toronto. Their business included all of Canada and the US. A few years ago she visited a number of European countries as well as most of the Nordic countries. Upon her return, her comments were hmmm rather different than when she left Canada and the US. Such adjectives as family friendly, happy, contented, productive yet family realistic, not as hurried, enjoying life, social, very different than the rat race we have in North America, etc. She suggested she would love to live there.
What I am suggesting is that there needs to be a happy medium between corporate interests and the interests of the people. In a real way, people ARE “everything”. If it were not then what are we doing here? You see Greg, evolution did not start with a company. It started with LIFE, people, families. If we continue believing that the corporation is a priori then we begin with a false premise. Oh, by the way, Canadians have been one of the most productive of all OECD countries including the US. Since productivity is measured by labour, R&D, re-investment, etc., when you take away everything other than labour, we come out on top by a large margin. Since we are extensions of large corporations from foreign soil, what occurs in Canada is that R&D, re-investments, etc. are done at corporate headquarters and not in Canada. We are mostly branch plants.
Now you are either living under a rock or have been mesmerized by corporate talk, but for the life of me, I simply can’t understand your position. And it isn’t for lack of trying. As a species we are mostly driven by self interests. So are corporations and unions. The purpose of government is to act as the mediator between the interests of the people and the interests of everything else. When a government continues to look after the interests of business over the people, then it is not doing the job for which they were elected. And that is the huge mistake Harper and Co. are doing. They have confused the interests of corporations with the interests of the people.
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Oh, well said, Gerry.
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Like oil on water it washed right off him Gerry Greg is prehistoric…Chuckle
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