15.09°C Vancouver

Apr 19, 2021 9:29 PM -

Federal Budget 2021: Highlights from Chrystia Freeland's speech and reaction

Share On
federal-budget-2021-highlights-from-chrystia-freelands-speech-and-reaction
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau looks on as Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland responds to a question during a news conference on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

Highlights from the federal Liberal budget tabled Monday by Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland:

$30 billion over the next five years, and $8.3 billion ongoing for early learning and child care and Indigenous early learning and child care.

The plan would aim to see an average drop in fees next year by 50 per cent for preschooler daycare spaces and an average of $10-a-day care by 2026.

$3 billion over five years, starting in 2022-23, to Health Canada to support provinces and territories in improving standards for long-term care. The government says this funding will keep seniors safe and improve their quality of life.

$2.2 billion in Canada's bio-manufacturing and life-sciences sector to rebuild Canada's national capacity in bio-manufacturing and vaccine development and production.

Introducing legislation to establish a federal minimum wage of $15 per hour, rising with inflation, with provisions to ensure that where provincial or territorial minimum wages are higher, that wage will prevail.

A new Canada Recovery Hiring Program to provide eligible employers with a subsidy of up to 50 per cent on the incremental remuneration paid to eligible employees between June 6 and November 20.

The program will provide $595 million to make it easier for businesses to hire back laid-off workers or to bring in new ones.

$17.6 billion towards a green recovery to create jobs, build a clean economy, and fight and protect against climate change.

$1 billion over six years, starting in 2021-22, to the Universal Broadband Fund to support a more rapid rollout of broadband projects in collaboration with provinces and territories and other partners.

$18 billion over the next five years to try to narrow the socio-economic gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people, including $6 billion for infrastructure in Indigenous communities, and $2.2 billion to help end the tragedy of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.

$2.5 billion and reallocate $1.3 billion in existing funding in order to help build, repair or support 35,000 housing units.

Introduce Canada's first national tax on vacant property owned by non-residents.

Introducing a new tax on the sales, for personal use, of luxury cars and personal aircraft with a retail sales price over $100,000, and boats, for personal use, over $250,000.

Includes $100 million in new spending over the next three years.

Records a $155 billion deficit for 2021-22.

Latest news

sps-chief-to-connect-fm-no-arrests-made-in-44-extortion-cases-in-surrey
BCSep 15, 2025

SPS Chief to Connect FM, no arrests made in 44 extortion cases in Surrey

At a press conference held at Surrey City Hall today to announce rewards for extortion cases, it was reported that a total of 44 files related to extortion are being investigated in the area. Meanwhile, it was also clarified that 27 of these cases were such, where shooting also took place. Connect FM asked SPS Chief, Chief Constable Norm Lipinski during a one-on-one conversation, “how many arrests have been made so far in these 44 cases?” The police chief said, “some warrants have been executed and some persons of interest have been identified but there have been no arrests related to th
alberta-adds-citizenship-status-to-id-cards-to-streamline-service-protect-elections
AlbertaSep 15, 2025

Alberta to Add Citizenship Markers to Driver’s Licences

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says her government is adding proof of citizenship markers to driver's licences and other forms of identification to streamline services and prevent election fraud. She says this will make it easier for students and the disabled to get funding given they have to prove their citizenship to do so. She says the goal is also to protect democracy to make sure that only citizens vote. Smith says non-citizens like permanent residents who can get a driver's licences will not have any notation on their IDs. Alberta Health Care numbers will also be added to driver'
vancouver-police-investigates-fatal-collision
BCSep 15, 2025

Vancouver Police investigates fatal collision

Vancouver Police are investigating a single-vehicle collision that resulted in the death of a 58-year-old driver. VPD officers responded at 10:50 p.m. on Sunday, after a blue 2020 Kia Rio collided with a concrete barrier at the south end of Main Street, near East Kent Avenue. The lone occupant suffered grave injuries and later died. The cause of the collision is under investigation. Witnesses, or anyone with dash-cam video from the area around the time of the collision, are asked to contact the VPD Collision Investigation Unit at 604-717-3012.
loss-of-carbon-tax-boosts-b-c-deficit-as-economic-growth-set-to-slide
BCSep 15, 2025

Loss of carbon tax boosts B.C. deficit as economic growth set to slide

British Columbia's forecasted deficit has hit a record high of almost $11.6 billion for the first quarter of the 2025-2026 fiscal year, largely due to the elimination of the carbon tax and amid ``global trade uncertainty.'' Finance Minister Brenda Bailey is also projecting higher deficits than she previously forecasted through to 2028 as growth slides, while the province's debt is predicted to spike by almost $60 billion over the next two fiscal years. Bailey's fiscal update revises gross domestic product growth down to 1.5 per cent from 1.8 per cent in 2025, and to 1.3 per cent fro
surrey-b-c-issues-extortion-rewards-citing-dozens-of-threats
BCSep 15, 2025

Surrey Extortion Reward Fund and tip line established to combat extortion

Today, Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke and Chief Constable Norm Lipinski (Surrey Police Service chief) announced a reward of up to $250,000 for tips on the increasing number of extortion incidents in Surrey. Mayor Brenda Locke said the money will be given to those whose information is useful and leads to arrests, prosecutions and convictions in cases. The money will only be given after and in accordance to the value of the information (based on assessing the value of information). A separate Surrey Extortion tip line has been set up to provide tips. Chief Constable Norm Lipinski said, “the tip li

Related News