Timmins-James Bay MP Charlie Angus commented on the federal budget yesterday, saying there were elements he was pleased with and others that raised “red flags of concern.”

He was particularly pleased with funding set aside for Indigenous Communities. Angus believes the Indigenous file remains on course in terms of committments to housing and boil water advisories. He is, however, thankful for the governments admission of legal responsibility to childen in the foster care system.

The budget introduced $1.4 billion in funding for over six years of First Nations Child and Family Services, and Angus says this is going to have a big impact.

“We’ve lost 11 young people in Ontario, including from our own region, in a broken foster care system, in a year, so I’m really pleased about that, that’s something that’s very close to my heart”, he said.

The document also proposes $172.6 million to improve drinking water on reserve, and $600 million for support housing, both of which would be rolled out over three years.

Moving forward, the veteran MP will also be keeping an eye on FedNor, which is the federal government’s economic development organization in northern Ontario.

The budget includes a section on regional development agencies, and proposes an extra $400 million over five years to support the Innovation and Skills Plan.

It’s what’s not included in the notes that worries Angus.

While it mentions the west and east, southern Ontario and far north, he pointed out that there is no mention of FedNor.

“They talk about consolidating the programs of all regional development, that sounds to me like running this out of the minister’s office and the north will end up losing if that’s the case,” he said.

Creating winners and losers by potentially shifting priorities to bigger projects is also a red flag for him.

He explained that small, resource-based northern communities need FedNor to kick start economic development.

“We don’t know where they’re going on FedNor, but those to me are very worrying signs and I’m going to be staying on them very closely because we need economic development that reflects the needs of Northern Ontario, not the interest of the Liberal government,” he said.

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Some other highlights of the 2018 budget are:

  • $1.5 billion over five years, and $149 per year ongoing, to improve access to health care in remote and isolated First Nation communities, enhance culturally appropriate addictions treatment and prevention services, and transform the First Nations health systems, and more. This includes support for a hospital and ambulatory facility for James Bay communities.
  • $191 million over five years to support jobs in the softwood lumber industry, which is in a tariff dispute with the United States.
  • $448.5 million over five years for the Youth Employment Strategy
  • Creating the Advisory Council on the Implementation of National Pharmacare, which is being led by former Ontario health minister Eric Hoskins.

Source: Timmins Today