Canada column for Sunday, March 27/16
THE CANADIAN REPORT
(c) By Jim Fox
Canada’s new
Liberal government intends to spend its way to greater prosperity as it projects
a $29.4 billion budget deficit for the coming year.
Prime Minister
Justin Trudeau suggested that Canadians not worry as his government intends to
again balance the budget “in the coming five years.”
During last fall’s
election campaign, the Liberals pledged to invest in infrastructure and put
more money into people’s pockets to grow the economy – “and that’s exactly what
we’ve done,” he said.
The spending plans are
contained in the government’s first budget and ended almost a decade of fiscal
restraint under the Conservatives.
Finance Minister Bill
Morneau said it will create 100,000 jobs and boost economic growth nationally.
It provides $6.6
billion over two years for infrastructure projects and $13 billion to help
aboriginal communities that includes water and wastewater systems and education
on reserves.
There’s $10 billion
more over two years for new payments to families with children and $3.4 billion
over five years to increase the guaranteed income supplement for single seniors
and restoring the Old Age Security pension eligibility age to 65 from 67.
The government will
also spend $2 billion over three years on infrastructure improvements at
colleges and universities, and $2 billion over two years for a low-carbon
economy fund.
---
Thousands of people
are paying their respects to former Toronto mayor Rob Ford who died of cancer
at age 46.
After public
visitation at city hall on Monday and Tuesday where people can sign a book of
condolences, his funeral procession will move to St. James Cathedral for
services on Wednesday.
That night, the
Ford family will hold a celebration of his life at the Toronto Congress Center.
Ford gained
international notoriety in 2013 after admitting to smoking crack cocaine during
““drunken stupors” while mayor. He is survived by his wife Renata and two
children.
---
News in brief:
- Former CBC Radio
host Jian Ghomeshi was found not guilty of sexual assault and choking. Judge William
Horkins said the testimony of three women accusers showed serious
inconsistencies and a “carelessness with the truth.” The five charges concerned alleged incidents
in 2002 and 2003 in Toronto. Ghomeshi faces another trial in June on a remaining
count of sexual assault relating to a workplace incident.
- Politicians paid
tribute to Jim Hillyer, 41, Conservative Member of Parliament for Medicine
Hat-Cardston-Warner in Alberta who died of a heart attack in his Ottawa office.
The father of four had beaten leukemia and recently had surgery to treat an
infection in his leg after a skiing accident. Hillyer is survived by his wife
and four children.
---
Facts and figures:
Canada’s dollar is
lower at 75.31 cents U.S. while the U.S. dollar returns $1.327 in Canadian funds,
before bank exchange fees.
The Bank of Canada’s
key interest rate is steady at 0.5 percent while the prime-lending rate is 2.7
percent.
Markets are lower, with
the Toronto Stock Exchange index at 13,358points and the TSX Venture index 579
points.
The average national
price for gas has risen to 95.9 cents a liter or $3.64 (Canadian) for a U.S.
gallon.
Lotto 6/49: (March
23) 4, 6, 13, 28, 29 and 36; bonus 9. (March 19) 1, 10, 11, 12, 19 and 27;
bonus 29. Lotto Max: (March 18) 6, 8, 15, 24, 26, 39 and 44; bonus 40.
---
Regional briefs:
- The Canadian
government is “carefully reviewing” a request from Bombardier for $1 billion
U.S., Prime Minister Trudeau said. The Montreal-based company asked for a financial
boost after lagging sales due to international competition and has received a
pledge for that amount from Quebec.
- Rolland Fox,
father of Marathon of Hope runner Terry Fox, has died of lung cancer at
the age of 80 in Vancouver. His wife Betty, who died in 2011, founded the Terry
Fox Foundation that has raised $650 million for cancer research. The annual
marathon is in memory of Terry whose run across Canada after his right leg was
amputated in 1977 due to cancer was cut short when the disease spread to his
lungs. He died in 1981 at age 22.
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Jim Fox can be reached at canadareport@hotmail.com
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