On February 28, 2018, at his constituency office in Mill Woods, MP and Canada Minister for Infrastructure and Communities, Amarjeet Sohi, just hours after returning from a trip in India, presented the 2018 Federal Budget to a group of Ethnic Media in Edmonton.
The 2018 budget is big on gender equality, strengthening the middle class, protecting minorities and growing the economy.
Chapter 4 of the budget reads, “Having more women in the workforce has driven economic growth, boosted family incomes, and helped families join the middle class. Yet there are still too many missed opportunities caused by gender gaps in a number of areas, including education and career options, full participation in the economy, and leadership. While these gaps are the result of many factors, taking action to address them is not just the right thing to do, it is the smart thing to do to strengthen the middle-class and grow Canada’s economy”.
Chapter 4 also mentions the delivery of clean water, housing, training, health care and other programs in Budget 2018 to help secure a better quality of life for Indigenous Peoples, while laying the foundation for a renewed relationship based on the recognition of rights, respect, cooperation and partnership.
“It is unacceptable that any person living in Canada should be unable to safely drink the water that comes out of their taps. No person should be forced to live in overcrowded and unsafe homes, and no young person should have to move far from home to get a good education. Yet, all over Canada, these are exactly the challenges faced by Indigenous Peoples. Indigenous Peoples, non-Indigenous Canadians and the Government agree that this must change,” chapter 4 reads.
Clean environment was a part of the budget, the Government is developing a federal carbon pollution pricing system that would apply in provinces and territories upon request, and in provinces and territories that do not have a pricing system in place that meets the federal standard by the end of 2018. The direct revenue from the carbon price on pollution under the federal system will be returned to the province or territory of origin.
Multiculturalism also takes its rightful place in the budget as Canada’s unique identity. “To provide support for events and projects that help individuals and communities come together, the Government proposes to provide $23 million over two years, starting in 2018–19, to increase funding for the Multiculturalism Program administered by Canadian Heritage. This funding would support cross-country consultations on a new national anti-racism approach, would bring together experts, community organizations, citizens and interfaith leaders to find new ways to collaborate and combat discrimination, and would dedicate increased funds to address racism and discrimination targeted against Indigenous Peoples and women and girls,” Chapter 4 reads.
Chapter 4 continues, “As a first step toward recognizing the significant and unique challenges faced by Black Canadians, the Government also proposes to provide $19 million over five years that will be targeted to enhance local community supports for youth at risk and to develop research in support of more culturally focused mental health programs in the Black Canadian community. In addition, with the creation of the new Centre for Gender, Diversity and Inclusion Statistics, announced in Chapter 1, the Government is committed to increase the disaggregation of various data sets by race. This will help governments and service providers better understand the intersectional dimensions of major issues, with a particular focus on the experience of Black Canadians”.
Temporary Foreign Workers were not left out. “The Temporary Foreign Worker Program and the International Mobility Program are Canada’s two programs that govern the entry of temporary foreign workers. Canada has an obligation to ensure these workers, who contribute to the labour market by providing the skills and expertise employers need when qualified Canadian workers are unavailable, are aware of their rights and are protected from abuse. The Government proposes to provide $194.1 million over five years, beginning in 2018–19, and $33.19 million per year ongoing, to ensure the rights of temporary foreign workers in Canada are protected and enforced through a robust compliance regime. Funding will support unannounced inspections under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, the continued implementation of the International Mobility Program compliance regime, and the ongoing collection of labour market information related to open work permits” Chapter 4 of Canada’s 2018 budget.
