Martin Invites Residents to Submit Budget Ideas to Government

SAULT STE. MARIE – Sault MP Tony Martin is urging residents, municipalities and organizations to submit their recommendations for the 2010 federal March budget.

“The government has an economic action plan and it is important it gets a reality check from people on what has worked, what problems there still are and what this plan neglects to address,” Martin said.

This budget will set this nation’s path into the next decade—in the face of a deep deficit cemented by the Conservatives’ poor management. And Mr. Harper has already signalled that this will be an austerity budget. Does that mean he’ll go back to the same old mistakes that got us into trouble? Cutting the services you rely on? Laying off public sector workers? Ignoring the infrastructure we need for a lasting recovery? Abandoning the half-million Canadians recently thrown out of work?

I would like to hear from you about what the federal government needs to do to ensure that Canada fully recovers from the global economic crisis. What must the federal budget include in order to address the economic needs of Canadians during this recovery period?

The budget will be introduced on March 4 and, while the government never set a deadline for submissions, Martin recommends submissions go in by February 15. Comments can be submitted online

If you do not have internet access or if your submission is longer than the word limited allowed on that form, you can send your feedback directly, postage free, to The Hon. James Flaherty, Minister of Finance, House of Commons, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0A6. Copies of submissions can be emailed directly to Tony Martin's office (Martin.t@parl.gc.ca) or mailed to: Tony Martin MP, House of Commons, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0A6.

Martin also released a sample of recommendations by the New Democrat federal caucus  Click Here For Complete Description.

• Fully reimburse Canadian seniors whose pensions were negatively affected as a result of an error in calculating the error of inflation.
• Implement the five recommendations of the Veterans’ First Motion
• Move toward a full, universal, regulated, not-for-profit child care program
• Improve EI by reducing required number of hours for qualifying to 360 hours, eliminate the waiting period and base insurable payment on 12 best weeks worked
• Reassign one extra cent of existing gas tax to fund public transit in Canada
• Remove the two per cent limit on social program spending in the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs so programs can be funded according to need and population growth.