Reaction has been coming in to the federal budget handed down last week, and two Saskatchewan organizations have voiced positive reactions.
The Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association has welcomed the infrastructure investments in the budget.
“Municipal infrastructure is vital to the day-to-day life of everyone in Saskatchewan’s cities, towns, villages and northern municipalities,” said SUMA president Debra Button in a statement.
“Today, the federal government showed us they recognize the value of investing in municipal infrastructure, and SUMA is pleased — as I suspect our members are as well.”
SUMA was particularly happy with an acceleration of money to municipalities through $9 billion available from the Provincial and Territorial Infrastructure Component of the New Building Canada Fund, and another $11.9 billion for infrastructure over the next five years. According to SUMA’s release, that will be split $3.4 billion for transit, $5 billion for water, wastewater and green infrastructure and $3.4 billion for social infrastructure.
SUMA is also welcoming the budget commitment for half the cost of public transit projects, as well as for work on water and wastewater systems like pipes and treatment plants.
“This government has listened to municipalities,” said Button. “We’ve already seen SUMA’s efforts during the federal election this summer pay off with the return of the mandatory long-form census and work toward an inquiry on missing and murdered Indigenous women. Today’s announcements on infrastructure are a relief for Saskatchewan’s urban municipalities. However, we still need to see further details on these promises to ensure the dollars are accessible to all municipalities, and quickly. We simply can’t afford to miss another construction season.”
The Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce has also voiced its approval, particularly for what they call a “significant investment in First Nations funding” in the budget.
“We applaud this commitment to funding for the country’s First Nation people,” said Steve McLellan, CEO of the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce, in a statement.
“This will help bridge the disparity in living standards and address much-needed investment in education and employment initiatives. We look forward to hearing details of the allocation of this funding in greater depth in the coming weeks.”
McLellan also welcomed the infrastructure spending. “We applaud new funds that are strategically directed, for projects that are ‘shovel-worthy’, not just ‘shovel-ready.’
“By making this distinction when directing infrastructure investment dollars, the government ensures that the benefits are real and will enhance economic growth.”
But it was not all good news from a Chamber standpoint.
“We are disappointed that the planned reduction in the federal small business tax rate from 10.5 per cent to nine per cent by 2019 has been postponed indefinitely,” McLellan said.
