Ottawa – June 6, 2011 - Gord Brown, Member of Parliament for Leeds-Grenville, today lauded Finance Minister Jim Flaherty for the budget introduced in the House of Commons this afternoon.

“This is essentially the same budget we introduced in March, with updated economic numbers and a couple of new pledges,” says Brown. “It is what we campaigned on and what we promised we would present. We are following through on our commitments.”

When the budget was first introduced in March, Brown noted that it is a good budget for Leeds-Grenville and reflects what he heard in his extensive pre-budget consultations.

“The new budget supports seniors, families, workers, and job creators. We have weathered the economic downturn in great shape but our economy is still fragile and this budget concentrates on continuing the recovery,” he said at the time.

As well as keeping the economy on track, one change in this budget is an accelerated deficit reduction plan that will see the deficit eliminated by 2014 instead of 2015.

Brown is pleased that the Eastern Ontario Development Program will be renewed with the expenditure of $20 million over the next two years.

“This has been an important program for Leeds-Grenville and it was one of the key things I heard during my pre-budget consultations from municipal leaders and constituents. It will be an important factor in further job creation in Leeds-Grenville,” he notes.

“I am disappointed that we had to have an election because this delayed this funding by a few months, which in turn has slowed economic development in Leeds-Grenville,” he explains.

As well, a $3,000 firefighter’s tax credit for volunteer firefighters is included.

“I have spoken out about this credit in caucus and with the Minister and I heard loud and clear from volunteer firefighters in Leeds-Grenville that this is something they wanted to see. I am excited that it is included in the budget,” Brown said in March.

“I talked with firefighters again during the campaign and they supported this budget priority,” he adds.

Low income seniors who rely on the Guaranteed Income Supplement will benefit from a top-up to the benefit of $600 per year for singles and $840 for couples.

The new budget also maintains the $400 million restart of the home retrofit program which will help people reduce energy costs in their homes.

The budget also includes funding to attract more health care workers to underserviced areas and provides a tax credit for caregivers of infirm dependent relatives including for the first time, spouses, common-law partners and minor children.

“Job creation is of utmost importance to our continued recovery,” explained Brown in March.

To that end the budget provides a number of measures for job-creating businesses and industries.

The work-sharing program will be extended for an additional 16 weeks for those industries still hard-hit by the recession.

“Industries in Leeds-Grenville took advantage of this program and it helped them stay in business,” he says.

The government will provide a temporary hiring credit for small business to encourage additional hiring.

Targeted initiatives to help older workers stay in the workforce and learn new skills are continued, as are new credits and relief for students and apprentices. The government is introducing a “helmets to hard-hats” program to help military veterans move to new jobs in the construction industry.

The budget supports the manufacturing and processing sector by extending the accelerated capital cost allowance rate for investment in manufacturing or processing equipment and machinery for two years.

It also promotes research in leading-edge technologies and will provide Canadians with the opportunities and incentives to acquire skills to compete for jobs in today’s labor market.

For municipalities, the government is legislating the gas tax fund to provide predictable, long-term infrastructure funding into the future as well as maintaining the Building Canada Fund announced in 2007.

There are initiatives to promote innovation in agriculture and to strengthen food safety and funding to continue to waive the firearms licence renewal fees for all classes of firearms.

“In the fall we will be introducing legislation to eliminate this failed and costly program once and for all,” Brown says.

A Child Tax Credit is included for children enrolled in artistic, cultural recreational and developmental activities.

“I heard from providers that these should be included and I am happy that message is in the budget,” Brown commented in March.

“During the election campaign I spoke with a number of folks involved in these activities and they were all encouraged to hear we were going to keep this in the budget.”

One of the new measures in the budget is the phasing out of the per vote political subsidies that go to parties.

“When I spoke about this during the election campaign people reacted favorably,” say Brown. “Frankly, political parties should be able to raise their own funds.