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Kitchen critical of federal Liberals budget

Souris-Moose Mountain MP Robert Kitchen is not a fan of the federal budget that came down Tuesday.
Robert Kitchen

Souris-Moose Mountain MP Robert Kitchen is not a fan of the federal budget that came down Tuesday.

Speaking the day after the document was released, Kitchen said the budget was an example of the government trying to get people to look at shiny objects “by flashing money all over the place.”

He was particularly critical of the deficit, which is approaching $20 billion, and he sees no plan by the government to reduce it.

Kitchen also doesn’t see anything in the document specifically for Souris-Moose Mountain.

“The budget doesn’t help our coal workers, it doesn’t help our power workers, it doesn’t help our farmers and it doesn’t help our oil and gas,” said Kitchen. “The only talk for oil gas was about money spent on consultations for pipelines. No money actually for a pipeline.”

He also said there was no money for farmers looking to get their crops in the ground. Kitchen claimed the word “farmers” was only used 18 times in the 461-page document.

The budget does have money for dairy, egg and poultry farmers who lose money because of Canada's recent free-trade agreements, with $2.15 billion over the coming years for supply-managed farmers.

There is also money for pork farmers affected by African swine fever.

There was also minimal spending in the budget for the 10 recommendations from the Task Force on Just Transition for Canadian Coal Power Workers and Communities, which were released last week.

“This budget basically looked at possibly three of them, and in those three, one was a re-announcement of money that was in last year’s budget … put forward for some information centres in Alberta.”

There will be a considerable amount of money needed for skills training and pension bridging in communities affected by the phase-out of coal power, he said.

There could be some additional money coming to communities through gas tax funding.

Kitchen believes the Liberals are using the budget to try to deflect from the SNC-Lavalin scandal that broke in February.

“They’re trying to change the channel, and basically put out money here, there and everywhere, and as they do that, they distract voters with their own money,” said Kitchen. “We have put forward plans, and as we roll towards the election, we will continue to add more parts to the agenda.”