(CNW) Prime Minister Harper's new budget of tax cuts reveals how poorly this government is responding to the challenges facing families in small rural, remote and northern communities, says Carol Gott, co-manager of Rural Voices.
Rural Voices is a virtual support network which provides a rural
conscience for other organizations and governments.
"Rural communities need infrastructure funding well beyond the
promise of more highways, more bridges and more public transit,"
said Gott.
"We need recreation facilities, buildings and resources to support
quality child care choices and innovative transportation supports
to assist in the challenge of geographic isolation of many
communities."
According to Rural Voices, the budget provides public transit tax
credits when remote, rural and Northern communities have no public
transit. The budget also provides family fitness credits that will
mean little in communities with limited access to recreation
facilities.
Many families will receive $100 a month to purchase "choice" in
child care in centres that do not exist, while many communities
will not be able to support building new child care spaces only
through tax credits.
This government has taken a fragmented, "give everyone something
approach" in this budget - but is this really short-term thinking,
Gott said.