The Vote or Veto Budget: An analysis of the 2005 federal Budget

Caledon assesses the 2005 federal Budget relative to three principles that we put forward in the pre-Budget consultations on the fiscal surplus: transparency, balance and purpose. On the basis of these principles, we applaud the Budget for its support of early learning and child care, the historic increase in the Guaranteed Income Supplement for poor seniors and the tax measures for persons with disabilities. But we oppose its costly tax breaks that benefit only high-income Canadians and the general tax breaks that are spread so thinly as to be virtually wasted. In our view, the surplus could have been used far more effectively for social purposes such as targeted tax relief, reducing child poverty, expanding the supply of affordable housing and providing supports for seniors and persons with disabilities.
ISBN – 1-55382-128-9