The federal budget is a good, balanced conservative budget, according to Westlock-St. Paul MP, Brian Storseth, but it is not supported by the opposition parties and could result in a spring election.
“It continues toward our goal of deficit reduction,” said Storseth, adding that it keeps taxes low while stimulating growth in jobs and in the economy. “This is the third and final phase of Canada’s economic recover plan.”
The federal government proposes to spend $9 million each year to reduce the student loans of doctors and nurses. Physicians willing to make the commitment to work in rural or remote communities would be eligible for federal student loan forgiveness of up to $8,000 per year to a maximum of $40,000, starting in 2012-13. Nurse practitioners and nurses would be eligible for $4,000 in federal student loan forgiveness per year to a maximum of $20,000.
The program will be a good incentive to encourage health care professionals to settle in the area, Storseth said.
Rob Fox, Liberal Party candidate for Westlock-St. Paul, said that this program is not a solution to the problem and creates competition between rural communities and cities. Simply drawing doctors out of the city does not solve the shortage, said Fox, adding that there needs to be a program to increase the overall number of family physicians.
Storseth said local seniors would benefit from the 2011 budget with an increase for the lowest third of seniors receiving the Guaranteed Income Supplement, up to $50 a month for singles and $70 a month for couples.
The federal budget also includes a family caregiver tax credit of 15 per cent on an amount of $2,000 for people caring for infirmed spouses, common-law partners and children.
Fox claims the increase to seniors really amounts to about a $1.25 per day, so all it means is that they can buy an extra cup of coffee. It is not enough to offset the increases that seniors are facing, he said. He added that the caregiver credit should be on the amount of $10,000.
Fox said he believes the Conservative Party wants an early election and that is the reason they have brought forward this budget.
For more budget coverage, see the St. Paul Journal on Tuesday.
