A local Parkland member of parliament feels rural Canadians will be paying even more under the new federal budget.
Yesterday, Liberal Finance Minister Bill Morneau presented the new budget in the House of Commons with current predictions for the 2017-18 deficit standing at 28.5 billion dollars.
According to Dauphin – Swan River – Neepawa MP Robert Sopuck specific taxes proposed by the current government will hurt residents in the Parkland.
"From a rural perspective you know they plan on implementing a carbon tax which will especially hurt people in our area because we have to drive a long way, we're dependent on agriculture both of those are fuel intensive activities and again if you look at the income levels in Dauphin – Swan River – Neepawa many people live on fairly modest incomes so it's a double whammy for them."
Included in the spending plan, the Trudeau Liberals are also considering a new national park in Manitoba. The proposed park area is outlined from the northern shores of Lake Winnipeg to Limestone Bay, including south of Grand Rapids along the Long Point peninsula and down to Chitek Lake Park Reserve.
Sopuck is not completely sold on the idea of a new national park, feeling the proposed plan raises many questions.
"My first question is does the province agree with this or is this just an intent by the federal government? [...] You know that Lowlands National Park has been talked about it for a few decades now, and quite frankly unless there is a significant tourism component to it they will have very little benefit for the people of the region or Manitoba."
Sopuck also says the proposed deficit is almost triple the $10 billion deficit Trudeau promised Canadians during the last election.
