Source URL: rmalberta.com/news/government-of-canada-releases-2023-budget/

Government of Canada Releases 2023 Budget

The 2023 federal budget is titled Strong Middle Class, Affordable Economy and Healthy Future

On March 28, 2023, the federal budget was released based on commitments to make life more affordable for Canadians, create a stronger public health and dental care system, and continue to grow the green economy. Through a review of the budget, the following items of specific interest to the RMA’s federal advocacy strategy and broader rural municipal priorities were identified:

  • Provide $15.3 million over three years, starting in 2023 – 2024, to Public Safety Canada to create a publicly accessible online portal where Canadians can access information on their exposure to flooding.
  • Provide $48.1 million over five years, starting in 2023 – 2024, and $3.1 million ongoing to Public Safety Canada to identify high-risk flood areas and implement a modernized Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements program, which would incentivize mitigation efforts.
  • Budget 2023 proposes to provide $3.0 billion over 13 years to Natural Resources Canada to:
    • Recapitalize funding for the Smart Renewables and Electrification Pathways Program to support critical regional priorities and Indigenous led projects and add transmission projects to the program’s eligibility.
    • Renew the Smart Grid program to continue to support electricity grid innovation.
  • Provide $27.2 million over five years to establish a Transportation Supply Chain Office to work with industry and other orders of government. This office will respond to disruptions and better coordinate action to increase the capacity, efficiency, and reliability of Canada’s transportation supply chain infrastructure.
  • Collaborate with industry, provinces, territories, and Indigenous Peoples to develop a long-term roadmap for Canada’s transportation infrastructure to better plan and coordinate investments required to support future trade growth.
  • Review of Canada’s continued infrastructure needs as it charts a course for future federal infrastructure programming.
  • Launch a new round of the Smart Cities Challenge later this year, which will focus on using connected technologies, data, and innovative approaches to improve climate resiliency.
  • Investment into the recruitment and retention of rural doctors and nurse, with $45.9 million promised over four years.
  • Provide an extended repayment period of 24 months for jurisdictions that contract policing services to pay their share of the costs for retroactive salary increases.
  • Introduce an investment tax credit for clean hydrogen projects.

The budget has been released on the Government of Canada’s website.

Karrina Jung
Policy Advisor
780.955.4085
karrina@RMAlberta.com  

Wyatt Skovron
Manager of Policy & Advocacy
780.955.4096
wyatt@RMAlberta.com