Yesterday, Canada’s Deputy Prime Minister and first female Finance Minister, the Honourable Chrystia Freeland, introduced Budget 2021. This plan is our roadmap for a more equitable, greener, and prosperous future for families in Markham-Thornhill and across Canada.
I am proud to say that this budget is the most small business friendly in Canadian history.
Budget 2021 is an historic investment to finish the fight against the pandemic, address the specific wounds of the COVID-19 recession, create jobs, strengthen the middle class, and set businesses on track for long-term growth. It’s about supporting those who have been disproportionately affected like low-wage workers, young people, women, and racialized Canadians. It’s about ensuring that this health crisis does not mitigate the progress we have made and that our economic growth is sustainable and strong moving forward.
While our government is excited to share this collective effort with Canadians, we are even more determined to see it through. I look forward to implementing this budget and seeing the difference it makes in our community of Markham-Thornhill and across Canada.
Sincerely,
Hon. Mary Ng
Budget 2021 Highlights
For over a year, Canadians have been living through the greatest global public health challenge of our lifetime. Across Canada, governments of all orders have worked tirelessly to prevent outbreaks and protect lives. While we are in the midst of a challenging third wave here in Ontario, the roll-out of safe and effective vaccines offers us optimism for the months ahead. I encourage all of you to get your vaccine when you are eligible as I was able to last week.
Programs like the Canada Emergency Response Benefit and Canada Recovery benefit supported over 10 million Canadians through COVID-19 related unemployment, the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit helped support 500K Canadians, and the Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit has helped more than 369K Canadians while taking care of their loved ones.
12 additional weeks of the Canada Recovery Benefit to a maximum of 50 weeks.
4 additional weeks of the Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit, to a maximum of 42 weeks.
ESTABLISHING A CANADA-WIDE EARLY LEARNING AND CHILD CARE SYSTEM
Through Budget 2021, our government is making a transformative investment to build a Canada-wide early learning and childcare system. This is a plan to drive economic growth, a plan to increase women’s participation in the workforce, and a plan to offer each child in Canada the best start in life. We are proposing an investment of $30 billion over the next 5 years to:
Reduce fees for parents with children in regulated child care by 50% on average, by 2022.
Establish a $10 per day Canada-wide early learning and childcare system by 2026.
Canadian businesses have been resilient through the pandemic, adapting and reinventing themselves in tough times. Our government has provided a suite of measures - including the 5.3 million Canadian jobs supported by the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy - that are still helping Canadian businesses and Canadian workers through the crisis.
As we look to turn the page from crisis to recovery, our government has a plan to restore business confidence, create jobs, and ensure growth by:
After a lifetime of hard work and building our country, seniors deserve to live healthy, safe, and independent lives. Seniors want to stay at home, in the communities that support them, for as long as possible. And that means meeting their needs – whatever that may be. Which is why we are planning to:
Canada’s prosperity and stability depend on every Canadian having a fair chance to join the middle class. Yet some Canadians struggle to do so while supporting families in part-time, temporary, and low-wage jobs—often working several jobs to make ends meet. Through Budget 2021, our government proposes:
STRENGTHENING THE CITIES AND COMMUNITIES WE CALL HOME
Strong and resilient cities, towns, and communities are the backbone of a strong economy and a growing middle class. As Canadians begin the work of building back better together, our government has a plan to develop more prosperous, inclusive, healthy, and vibrant communities like Markham-Thornhill by:
Every Canadian should feel safe in their community and everyone should receive equitable treatment under the law. To keep Canadians safe and protect the integrity of our public institutions, through Budget 2021 we are proposing:
Our young people were among the hardest and fastest hit when the pandemic struck – experiencing more job losses than any other demographic. Our government has always treated youth as leaders of today and our investments in their futures in Budget 2021 illustrate that by:
