Budget invests in Algoma-Manitoulin families and communities

Elliot Lake, ON – Ontario Budget 2014 proposes a 10-year plan for the economy focused on investing in people, our communities, and putting the province’s businesses in a position to create new jobs today.

“The 2014 Budget is a plan for more jobs and more opportunity for our future in Algoma-Manitoulin.Our economic recovery here in the North requires the realistic and practical investments put forward in this budget,” stated Algoma-Manitoulin Liberal Candidate Craig Hughson

Highlights of the plan that will see money spent in Algoma-Manitoulin include:

• Establishing a new 10-year, $2.5 billion Jobs and Prosperity Fund that will help Ontario attract business investments, strengthen Ontario’s strategic sectors, and support the province’s future economic growth.
• Investing $295 million over two years for the highly successful Ontario Youth Jobs Strategy, which gives young people the opportunity to gain a foothold in the job market. The strategy has already helped over 10,000 young people get work experience and find jobs.
• Helping businesses manage electricity costs with discounts for large, growing businesses and a tailored conservation program that helps small businesses and entrepreneurs ease their energy bills.
• Providing more than $11 billion for elementary and secondary education infrastructure.
• Investing over $11.4 billion in major hospital expansion and redevelopment projects. This will see hospitals renovated or new hospitals built right here in Algoma-Manitoulin.
• Securing Ontarians’ Retirement with The Ontario Retirement Pension Plan that would build on the Canada Pension Plan (CPP), and initially cover more than three million working Ontarians. It would require equal contributions shared between employers and employees, and could roughly double the retirement benefit received under the CPP alone.
• Increases to the Ontario Child Benefit tied to inflation
• Increases to social assistance rates by one percent for Ontario Works and ODSP recipients

The government will continue to manage growth in spending and will balance the budget by 2017–18. Continued strategic investments will be made to create jobs, grow the economy, and provide high quality key public services.

“It is irresponsible and cause for concern when MPP Mantha is playing footsies with Tim Hudak at Queen’s Park and potentially teaming up with the PC’s to force a costly election on Ontarians. An election held today puts progress at risk. It could even result in a Tim Hudak government that would expose the North to another round of Mike Harris style axe and slash cuts to programs and front-line services,” concluded Hughson.