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.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.