Here’s what stakeholders across Windsor-Essex say about the 2023 Federal Budget

The Trudeau government unveiled it’s 2023 budget Tuesday – but what’s in it for Windsor?

In a time when the region is preparing for big things in the automotive sector, THE President of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association President says: a lot.

“This is a southwestern Ontario, electric vehicle kind of budget. And what’s the capital of that? Windsor,” said Volpe.

He points to investment tax credits for clean energy as an enticing foil to the Inflation Reduction Act in the United States. Saying, while Canada hasn’t copied and pasted electric vehicle rebates from across the Detroit River, its taken good steps to entice manufacturers to keep picking Canada when looking to set up shop.

“I’m not particularly worried that they’re not there yet,” Volpe said. “I’d rather make the cars then just be incentivizing the consumers.”

Windsor Regional Hospital

A lot of the spending in the budget is earmarked for healthcare.

Windsor Regional Hospital CEO David Musyj points out that much of that was in the form of the previously announced health transfers to the provinces, and adds he doesn’t think it’s enough.

“Even though in raw dollars it is a substantial additional investment of about a billion dollars a year to Ontario in particular… it’s not transformational,” he said.

Musyj applauded the additional investments in national dental care, saying it will help ease some of the burden placed on hospital staff in the long run.

“We do see individuals attending the hospital who are in need of dental care, we have a handful of them a day, so we are hopeful that with this coverage that will reduce,” Musyj said.

Windsor West MP Brian Masse

Federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said shortly after the release of the budget that his party would be in support – going on to say the document has New Democrat fingerprints all over it. Particularly with investments in dental care.

NDP MP for Windsor West, Brian Masse sayid it “completes” some of his party’s work.

“Overall, it’s a supportable budget that actually has some unique things for our area,” he said.

Masse added it wouldn’t make sense to oppose the budget and risk sending Canadians to the polls.

“If we went to an election right now, it’d be the worst thing for Windsor and Essex County,” said Masse. “Because we have to compete with the U.S. right now, reshoring a lot of manufacturing jobs.”

Windsor—Tecumseh MP Irek Kusmierczyk

“This is the most important budget for Windsor-Essex in generations,” said Irek Kusmierczyk, Liberal MP for Windsor-Tecumseh.

He said the budget stands on three pillars: jobs, affordability and healthcare.

He says the most important part of the budget is investment in clean tech manufacturing.

“It’s going to secure ant protect that battery investment in the corner of EC Row and Banwell and also the investments in electric vehicle manufacturing at Windsor Assembly and Ford – and it’s going to protect those 5,000 jobs,” Kusmierczyk said.

He does however say there’s at least one thing he’d been hoping to see included that was not: investments in a national school nutrition program.

Something that the Trudeau Government committed to rolling out in the last fall economic statement.

“In our community, we have some of the highest child poverty rates in Canada,” he said.