It's widely known that the Conservative government will table a balanced federal budget this week. But what else can Canadians expect on Tuesday?
From infrastructure and security spending to breaks for seniors, the Conservatives have been dropping hints about what to expect when the government tables the federal budget Tuesday.
The speech is long-awaited, after Finance Minister Joe Oliver said, in January, that he would delay tabling the budget until late April, because of uncertainty caused by collapsing oil prices. Traditionally, federal budgets are tabled in February or March.
Infrastructure spending
The upcoming , Industry Minister James Moore recently told CTV's Question Period, suggesting that more than one major announcementis on the horizon.
"I think you're going to see some very large scale announcements in every part of the country to the benefit of productivity, to the benefit of infrastructure and to the benefit of the quality of life of everyday Canadians," Moore said.
Moore did not indicate if the government plans to announce new infrastructure spending, or if it would be part of the $75 billion over 10 years that the federal government already committed in the 2013 federal budget.
It is not clear how or where that infrastructure money will be spent, though Moore acknowledged the long-time "gap" between the provinces and federal government when it comes to infrastructure investments.
The provinces have said they need more money for roads, bridges, highways, waterworks, transit and other infrastructure projects.
National security
. Speaking to the Canadian Press (CP), sources predicted that security agencies will get more resources to carry enhanced responsibilities outlined in the government's new anti-terror legislation.
The Conservatives' anti-terror bill C-51, which is currently before the Senate, would give security agencies, including the Canadian Security Intelligence Service and the RCMP, more power to track threats. Even without C-51, the RCMP has reassigned more than 600 officers to deal with the threat of homegrown extremism.
Any new money for the security agencies in Tuesday's budget could help ease criticism that the government is stretching their capabilities too thin to be effective.
Defence?
Speaking to CTV鈥檚 Question Period, . When asked about the budget, Kenney said that the government is committed to ensuring that the Canadian Forces have the proper resources they need to deal with "this kind of new Russian aggression鈥� and "jihadi terrorism around the world.鈥�
"Obviously the Canadian Forces are going to need adequate resources in the future and our government will deliver that so stay tuned for the budget," said Kenney.
Last week, the Canadian government announced it will deploy 200 troops to Ukraine for two years to help train local soldiers fighting separatists there.
And Canadian troops are also on the ground and in the air in the Middle East. Up to 69 Canadian troops are on the ground training Kurdish Peshmerga forces in Iraq, while Canadian fighter jets take part in the U.S.-led coalition airstrikes over Iraq and Syria. The Canadian mission has a mandate to run until the end of March, 2016.
Tax breaks for families
For months now, the Conservatives have released some tax breaks Canadians can expect on Tuesday. : the Family Tax Cut 鈥� also known as income splitting; a doubling of the child fitness tax credit to $1,000; and a boosted Universal Child Care benefit to $160 per month from $100 a month for children under six, and a new $60 a month benefit for children aged six to 18.
Focus on seniors
.
CP learned Friday that there may be changes coming to the rules that require retirees to start withdrawing cash from their registered retirement income funds, or RRIFs, by a certain age. Under the current law, people must draw minimum amounts from their RRIFs annually starting at the age of 71.
Seniors groups have called for changes to the RRIFs partly because Canadians live much longer than they did when the program started in 1992. It is not clear if the government will eliminate RRIFs altogether or just adjust the rules around them.
Susan Eng, the vice-president of advocacy for CARP, a seniors group, told CP that the budget could also include support for families taking care of a loved one with dementia. The Alzheimer Society of Canada has also asked the feds to provide $150 million over five years for a national dementia strategy.
TFSA doubling?
(TFSA) to $11,000. The initiative stems from a 2011 Conservative election promise.
Manufacturing
, senior Conservatives sources told CP in January. According to the report, one option is to make the temporary capital cost allowance, announced in the 2013 budget, permanent. The initiative lets companies write-off the cost of machinery quicker and, therefore, lower their taxes.
Manufacturing spending is part of the Conservative government's attempt to satisfy Ontario and its voters.
What not to expect
What should Canadians write off in Tuesday's budget? To start, stimulus is off the table.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper has made it clear that the
"Embarking on a major stimulus program when the economy's growing, and driving us back into deficit, makes absolutely no long-term economic sense whatsoever," Harper said earlier this month.
However, Harper said the government will still pump money into the economy this year through measures like tax cuts for families and increased infrastructure spending.
. The finance minister made the comments in response to a letter from the NDP in January outlining the party's budget demands.
"Our government will not embark on massive, costly bureaucratic programs, throw the country into a large deficit and pile on debt that would burden our children and grandchildren. Furthermore, we do not intend to cancel our family benefit program, which mainly advantage low and middle income Canadian families."
NDP Deputy Leader Nathan Cullen called on the government 鈥渢o give middle class families a break鈥� in the budget. He specifically asked Oliver to scrap the federal government鈥檚 income-splitting plan for families with children under the age of 18. Critics have said the scheme will only help a a small portion of Canadian families.
Balanced budget legislation
This budget is key for the Conservatives, as Canadians are heading to the polls later this year.
In addition to the measures announced on Tuesday, . The bill would prevent future governments from running a deficit except in response to a recession or "an extraordinary circumstance," like a natural disaster.
The proposed legislation has already been met with criticism. Dennis Mitchell, executive vice-president and CIO of Sentry Investments, said a balanced budget sounds good "on the surface," but the proposed measures to keep it balanced could end up handcuffing future governments dealing with tough economic times.
With files from the Canadian Press
