The recent federal budget was a bad budget for Manitoba

As the days pass since the recent federal budget, it is becoming clearer and clearer that it was a bad budget for Manitoba. Here is why.

1) The treatment of First Nations in the Conservative federal budget was shameful. First Nations people, with well over 100,000 in Manitoba, are very important in our province and it is indeed shameful that they have been so neglected. As Phil Fontaine commented "First Nations are beyond disappointed. We don't see any reason to believe that the government cares about the shameful conditions of First Nations.... The frustration of First Nations people is only growing and this budget does nothing to allay their concerns."

As Katherine Whitecloud, Chair of the First Nations' Chiefs Committee on Health says: "Yesterday's Federal Budget perpetuates discriminatory treatment of Canada's poorest communities in access to health care... The national budget for First Nations will be frozen at a rate 50% less than what other Canadians will generally receive." I know personally of the problems of health care delivery in First Nations communities and have written previously about this on my blog.

Vice Chief Guy Lonechild of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations puts it bluntly: "First Nation children have been ignored."

Grand Chief Ron Evans summed it up: "It's time for the Canadian government to recognize the enormous deficit it has created in our First Nations communities. And the recent federal budget, with its paltry amount for First Nations shows how truly unaware they are."

The federal budget was a bad budget for First Nations people in Manitoba and thus a very bad budget for Manitoba.

2) The federal budget fell far short when it comes to the support of child care. In Manitoba this has meant uncertainty over the future of child care centres, of positions for children and for staff. Instead of reducing funding for child care and child care spaces, the bedget should have recognized the important need in this area and responded appropriately. The neglect of funding for child care spaces will be a big deficiency and a major setback in Manitoba.

3) Lake Winnipeg was very poorly supported in the federal budget. Lake Winnipeg received $7 million, while Lake Simcoe a much smaller lake in Ontario received $12 million. Ontario has won again to the detriment and the loss of Manitoba. Our Lake Winnipeg is the sixth great lake in Canada and it is shameful that the urgent need for help to improve Lake Winnipeg has been so disregarded by the federal Tories.

4) The Canadian Museum for Human Rights should have received operating support in the recent federal budget. It did not. This is terrible. We need to move forward in building the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg. The Federal Conservative budget failed Manitobans.

5) Manitoba needs to have strong support for increased low income housing. This is an important cornerstone in reducing poverty. Yet the federal Conservative budget failed badly in supporting low income housing.

6) Manitoba is trying to be a major centre for medical research and biotechnology. The federal budget fell far short of what was needed in the support for the Canadian Institutes for Health Research and in other areas of science and research as well.