On Tuesday April 16, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland introduced Budget 2024: Fairness For Every Generation. The Member of Parliament for Northwest Territories, Michael McLeod, appreciated the Government of Canada’s focus on the issues that are front-of-mind for Northerners.
“Budget 2024’s strong emphasis on matters such as affordable housing, Arctic sovereignty, and reconciliation are directly addressing the priorities of the Northwest Territories,” said McLeod.
On the housing front, Budget 2024 provides an additional $918 million to narrow the housing and infrastructure gaps in Indigenous communities, establishes the Canada Builds program to partner with provinces and territories to build more rental housing, delivers $50 million to modernize and expedite home building through the regional development agencies, and launches a $6 billion Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund to build and upgrade the infrastructure necessary to support the construction of new homes.
Regarding Arctic sovereignty, Budget 2024 features investments outlined in the renewed defence policy Our North, Strong and Free, including $218 million for Northern Operational Support Hubs to establish greater year-round presence, $307 million for airborne early warning aircraft that will vastly improve Canada’s ability to detect, track, and prioritize airborne threats sooner, and $1.4 billion to acquire specialized maritime sensors to conduct ocean surveillance.
Building on our government's actions to date on reconciliation, Budget 2024 invests an additional $96.4 million to advance Section 35 negotiations, $290 million to reclaim, revitalize, and strengthen Indigenous cultures and languages, and $96 million to address the Legacy of Residential Schools by supporting survivors and their families.
Other highlights include:
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Office of Michael McLeod, M.P.
