Budget 2019 – For Canadians, By Canadians

BY SALINA McCALLUM

Over the last four years, Canadians have been strongly voicing their opinions to the government of what they would like to see changed and improved for the future of all Canadians. Budget 2019, created by the federal government, is a compilation of just that.

The budget plan will help more Canadians find an affordable home, prepare for good and well-paying jobs, retire with confidence, and make prescription drugs more affordable.

Budget 2019 includes a national pharmacare program which will make prescription medication more affordable.

“No Canadian should have to choose between paying for prescriptions and putting food on the table. While Canadians are proud of our health care system, many are still forced to make this difficult decision” said Sonia Sidhu, the Member of Parliament for Brampton South.

Satinderpal “Sonia” Sidhu MP is a Canadian politician who was elected as a Member of Parliament in the House of Commons of Canada. She was chosen during the 2015 Canadian federal election to represent the federal electoral district of Brampton South. She is a passionate advocate for health, women’s right, and for newcomers to Canada.

With Budget 2019, the federal government is making life more affordable for Canadian seniors and empowering those who want to stay active and involved in their communities.

The report says that the government will be increasing the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) top-up payment by up to $947 per year for single seniors and boosting benefits for nearly 900,000 low-income seniors.

The government will also restore the eligibility age for Old Age Security and GIS benefits to 65 which means thousands of dollars more for Canadians as they become seniors.

Since 2015, the federal government has introduced several measures to make post-secondary education and training more affordable and accessible, including ensuring that no student has to repay their Canada Student Loan until they are earning at least $25,000 per year.

Shaianna Coleman, a 3rd year Social Work student who attends the University of Windsor says that a break from repaying loans between graduating and finding a secure job would help her immensely.

“Realistically, when we graduate, a lot of us don’t get into the field of work that we graduate from. Most jobs want to hire someone with experience, but it’s unrealistic since we just graduated. This policy will make it much easier to feel secure and comfortable, especially for me,” said Coleman.

Additionally, due to Budget 2019, young Canadians will see lower interest rates on their student loans and will no longer accumulate interest during their first six months out of school.

This year, a typical middle-class family of four will receive, on average, about $2,000 more in support than they did in 2015, thanks to the middle-class tax cut and the Canada Child Benefit.

The middle-class tax cut was one of the government’s first orders of business. The federal government raised taxes on the wealthiest 1%, and cut taxes for 9 million Canadians who are a part of the middle class. As a result, single Canadians who benefit are now saving an average of $330 each year, and couples who benefit are saving an average of $540 each year.

With the Canada Child Benefit, 9 out of 10 families receive more help than they did under previous child benefit programs. This year families benefiting from the Canada Child Benefit will receive approximately $6,800 to help with the high cost of raising kids—an amount that will continue to rise with the cost of living.

The First-Time Home Buyer Incentive Program will make home ownership more affordable for first-time buyers by decreasing their monthly mortgage payments.

Through a shared equity mortgage, eligible first-time home buyers will have the ability to lower their borrowing costs by sharing the cost of buying a home with Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), up to 5% or 10% of the home purchase price.

In Brampton and Peel Region, residents of Brampton South will benefit from the new infrastructure funding for local communities through a municipal top-up. In Budget 2019, the government is investing in infrastructure by increasing the number of municipalities.

“This budget is for all Canadians, where everyone has a fair chance to succeed,” says Sonia Sidhu, the Member of Parliament for Brampton South.