MP disappointed in federal budget

Budget 2010 does little to help Canadians facing challenges and who are still reeling from the recession.

This is the feeling of Random-Burin-St. George's MP Judy Foote, who provided budget comments to local media last week.

The MP said the Conservative government has failed to do something about the job recovery the country is experiencing.

"The jobs they claim to create don't make up for the 300,000 we have already lost in the country or for the rise in unemployment forecasted in the budget," she said.

"This is serious for the province of Newfoundland and Labrador where the unemployment rate is 14.9 per cent and especially worrisome for the people of Random-Burin-St. George's where the unemployment rate is even higher."

Federal funding for Marine Atlantic made news the day after the budget as some federal members claimed the feds planned to lease two sister ships of the Atlantic Vision to do the Port aux Basques/Sydney run. The government did not confirm these rumours by press time, but MP Foote also addressed Marine Atlantic funding in her comments.

"The government has been told repeatedly of the need to replace the fleet that services Marine Atlantic, but it appears the government has turned a blind eye to the request," she said.

"For instance, there is no indication in the budget that there is even an acknowledgement of the need for the $1-billion plus suggested by the St. John's Board of Trade as the investment required to address the shortcomings in Marine Atlantic in its current form."

Budget 2010 highlights released by the federal government state the country has returned to economic growth following the global recession, and that budget 2010 has three aims: it provides $19 billion in new federal stimulus under year two of Canada's Economic Action Plan; second, it invests in a limited number of new, targeted initiatives to build jobs and grow the economy and lastly to chart a course to bring the country's finances back to balance over the medium term and before any other G7 country.

reporter@thegeorgian.ca