2011 Canadian federal budget
Encyclopedia
The Canadian federal budget
for the 2011-2012 fiscal year was presented to the Canadian House of Commons
by Finance Minister Jim Flaherty
on March 22, 2011, then again in June following a May 2nd election.
On June 13th, "the budget passed by a vote of 167 to 131, with four Bloc Québécois MPs voting in support and the other opposition parties voting against it"
A motion of non-confidence
was passed on March 25, 2011. While this motion, which found the government in contempt of Parliament, did not relate specifically to the budget, it had the practical effect of dissolving parliament and killing any legislation under consideration. An election was held May 2, 2011. The Conservatives went from a minority position in the House of Commons to a majority, paving the way for the re-introduction of the measures contained in the budget.
Canadian federal budget
In Canada, federal budgets are presented annually by the Government of Canada to identify planned government spending, expected government revenue, and forecast economic conditions for the upcoming year....
for the 2011-2012 fiscal year was presented to the Canadian House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
by Finance Minister Jim Flaherty
Jim Flaherty
James Michael "Jim" Flaherty, PC, MP is Canada's Minister of Finance and he has also served as Ontario's Minister of Finance. From 1995 until 2005, he was the Member of Provincial Parliament for Whitby—Ajax, and a member of the Progressive Conservative Party caucus...
on March 22, 2011, then again in June following a May 2nd election.
On June 13th, "the budget passed by a vote of 167 to 131, with four Bloc Québécois MPs voting in support and the other opposition parties voting against it"
Proposals
- Increasing the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) for seniors who rely Old Age SecurityOld Age SecurityThe Old Age Security pension is a taxable monthly social security payment available to most Canadians 65 years of age or older. As of July, 2011, the basic amount is C$533.70 per month. At tax time, recipients with 2010 incomes over C$67,668 must pay back a portion of their Old Age Security at a...
and the GIS. - Tax credits for family caregivers, children's arts and crafts programs and Volunteer fire-fightersVolunteer fire departmentSee also the Firefighter article and its respective sections regarding VFDs in other countries.A volunteer fire department is a fire department composed of volunteers who perform fire suppression and other related emergency services for a local jurisdiction.The first organized force of...
. - Student loanStudent loanA student loan is designed to help students pay for university tuition, books, and living expenses. It may differ from other types of loans in that the interest rate may be substantially lower and the repayment schedule may be deferred while the student is still in education...
forgiveness for doctors and nurses who re-locate to remote or rural areas. - "Strengthening the Charitable Sector" - measures to enhance the ability of Canadians to give with confidence to charities, and to help ensure that more resources are available for legitimate charities.
Opposition
All three opposition parties rejected the budget in statements made after the budget speech:- “The NDP will not be supporting the budget as presented,” Jack LaytonJack LaytonJohn Gilbert "Jack" Layton, PC was a Canadian social democratic politician and the Leader of the Official Opposition. He was the leader of the New Democratic Party from 2003 to 2011, and previously sat on Toronto City Council, serving at times during that period as acting mayor and deputy mayor of...
, leader of the New Democratic PartyNew Democratic PartyThe New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in... - “We’re forced to reject the budget and we’re also forced to reject a government that shows so little respect for parliamentary democracy and our democratic institutions.” Michael IgnatieffMichael IgnatieffMichael Grant Ignatieff is a Canadian author, academic and former politician. He was the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and Leader of the Official Opposition from 2008 until 2011...
, leader of the Liberal Party of CanadaLiberal Party of CanadaThe Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative... - “ ...It’s obvious that we cannot support this budget,” Gilles DuceppeGilles DuceppeGilles Duceppe is a Canadian politician, and proponent of the Québec sovereignty movement. He was a Member of Parliament in the Canadian House of Commons for over 20 years and was the leader of the sovereigntist Bloc Québécois for almost 15 years. He is the son of a well-known Quebec actor, Jean...
, leader of the Bloc QuébécoisBloc QuébécoisThe Bloc Québécois is a federal political party in Canada devoted to the protection of Quebec's interests in the House of Commons of Canada, and the promotion of Quebec sovereignty. The Bloc was originally a party made of Quebec nationalists who defected from the federal Progressive Conservative...
A motion of non-confidence
Motion of no confidence
A motion of no confidence is a parliamentary motion whose passing would demonstrate to the head of state that the elected parliament no longer has confidence in the appointed government.-Overview:Typically, when a parliament passes a vote of no...
was passed on March 25, 2011. While this motion, which found the government in contempt of Parliament, did not relate specifically to the budget, it had the practical effect of dissolving parliament and killing any legislation under consideration. An election was held May 2, 2011. The Conservatives went from a minority position in the House of Commons to a majority, paving the way for the re-introduction of the measures contained in the budget.
See also
- 2010 Canadian federal budget2010 Canadian federal budgetThe Canadian federal budget for the 2010-2011 fiscal year was presented to the Canadian House of Commons by Finance Minister Jim Flaherty on March 4, 2010 after returning from a two month prorogued parliament....
- 2009 Canadian federal budget2009 Canadian federal budgetThe Canadian federal budget for the 2009-2010 fiscal year was presented to the Canadian House of Commons by Finance Minister Jim Flaherty on January 27, 2009...
- 2008 Canadian federal budget2008 Canadian federal budgetThe Canadian federal budget for the 2008-2009 fiscal year was presented to the Canadian House of Commons by Finance Minister Jim Flaherty on February 26, 2008....
- 2007 Canadian federal budget2007 Canadian federal budgetThe Canadian federal budget for the 2007-2008 fiscal year was presented to the Canadian House of Commons by Finance Minister Jim Flaherty on March 19, 2007. The federal budget included $14 billion in new spending and $5.7 billion in tax cuts...
- 2006 Canadian federal budget2006 Canadian federal budgetThe Canadian federal budget for fiscal year 2006-2007 was presented to the Canadian House of Commons by Finance Minister Jim Flaherty on May 2, 2006...
- 2005 Canadian federal budget2005 Canadian federal budgetThe 2005 Canadian federal budget was the budget of the Government of Canada for the 2005-2006 fiscal year. It was presented on February 23, 2005, by Finance Minister Ralph Goodale. It was the first federal budget presented by a minority government in Canada since the budget presented by the...