Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in debate on Bill C-28, the budget implementation act, and to have the opportunity to speak about some elements of the budget that I was unable to discuss in my first opportunity to talk about the budget after it was tabled.
One area of this budget which is very important for the country is the increase to the national child benefit supplement of the Canada child tax credit of $965, an increase of nearly $1 billion. This will be in place by 2007 and will bring the maximum annual benefit for a first child, through the Canada child tax benefit, to $3,243. This is a very important measure. We have come a long way to get to this point.
I recall back in the years between 1993 and 1995, leading up to the 1995 budget, when I was part of a working group in our caucus on child poverty that advanced the issue of finding new measures to combat child poverty. It was led by the member who is now the Secretary of State for Central and Eastern Europe and Middle East. He did an outstanding job of chairing that committee and leading our work toward a measure in the 1995 budget.
Of course we remember that the 1994 budget was a difficult budget. Cuts had to be made to get the accounts of the country in balance. We knew the next budget would also be difficult because more measures were needed. However we felt it was very important that the government take action to try to combat child poverty. Because it was a matter of federal jurisdiction, we focused on the working income supplement that went to low income working families. As I said, because the federal government had jurisdiction in the area of work, it meant the federal government could make an impact particularly with modest and low income families with children. To see that then change and become the national child benefit as part of the Canada child tax credit was gratifying.
We have seen that development over the past number of years. We saw it come into effect in the 1995 budget, and there have been changes since then. We have seen the increases year after year to that. As I said a moment ago, for a first child in a low income family, the parents now receive over $3,000 and lesser amounts for each child after that. Those are absolutely vital measures to help people get out of poverty, to help low income families and poor children in Canada face the difficulties we see today.
I know members on all sides are concerned about this issue and are concerned that we continue to work on the issue of child poverty across Canada. They would also want to recognize the good work that has been done in creating the national child benefit and increasing it year after year. No doubt that is important.
I am glad my hon. colleague across the way is talking about the clawback because I think it is unfortunate that the provinces have decided to do that in some cases. I am glad we have now reached a point where, with the latest increases, we will see an amount that they will be unable to claw back.
I have always been disappointed that the provinces would want to take the money we have given low income families and poor children, claw it back and use it in other areas. To me that is the wrong way to go. We need to see them move more in the way of allowing these families to access the money and keep it to put bread on the table, to clothe their kids properly and to provide what they need to succeed in our society.
Another measure that I thought was important in the budget was the $935 million over five years to help provinces, territories and first nations provide greater access to quality child care and early learning opportunities. We have heard a lot about the importance of getting kids off to a good head start in those early years, between birth and five years of age.
As I look at my NDP colleagues across the way, it reminds me of the fact that I was defeated in 1997. The funny thing is there was a silver lining to that for me. At the time I did not see it. I had a son who was born in 1996. When I was defeated, he was about eight months old. It meant that in the ensuing number of formative years, between one and five, I could be there much more because I was not in the House.
I am not looking forward to any more of those silver linings for a while. I am not anxious to look for those kind of clouds of silver lining, and neither is my son I am sure. However the point is we all recognize the importance to young children of getting a good start in life, of getting a chance to have an early education and a boost in education. That is why it is so important that this money go to where it is needed and for that purpose, and included of course in this is money for first nations.
We know the grave challenges in many first nations communities. I think particularly of the issues in Manitoba where the first nations population is growing dramatically and is becoming a much greater percentage of the population of Manitoba. They are facing grave challenges as young people are looking for opportunities and often not finding them. Funding education for those young people to help them have a good chance and a good start in life is absolutely vital and could not be better placed.
The budget also contains a new child disability benefit, with funding of $50 million per year. This is a brand new initiative and one I think that was applauded by members from all sides of the House. As I recall, it was recognized as a very important measure and one of great value for children with disabilities who really needed assistance. This will provide up to $1,600 per year to low and modest income families with a disabled child.
We can all imagine what it is like for a family who is trying to help a disabled child get ready for life, to help that child grow and to nurture that child. Families are faced with economic costs such as having to pay for maybe a lift in their house, or a wheelchair or many of the other costs. It makes good sense, as we try to ensure our society includes all these people, to have this tax credit for those children with disabilities, to help them take part in our society in a very full way, which is so important I think to all of us.
Another important area is homelessness. It is a concern across the country. I know it is a concern in my city of Halifax. It is a concern certainly in Toronto and in many other places. As members know, the government is working to combat homelessness in Canada's cities with an investment of $135 million each year, for three years. That is not peanuts. This important money will do important work.
As well, the government will address the housing issue, with $320 million over five years to enhance existing affordable housing agreements with the provinces and territories. This is not just to provide new funding, it is additional funding.
It is important to enhance those agreements. We will recall that the responsibility for housing was transferred to the provinces a few years ago. This is an important addition to help the provinces carry that load. I know it is important for my province, with its enormous debt. Unfortunately, the debt is growing still because the provincial government of Nova Scotia has not stopped the growth of it. It talks about having a balanced budget. Unfortunately I cannot see how it can call it balanced if it adds to the debt every year, as it has for the past four years, and I do not see when that will stop.
An area for me which has been important is cities and urban infrastructure. I was pleased the budget included an announcement of $3 billion more for urban infrastructure over the next 10 years. I hope we will see in future budgets significant additional dollars going to that cause.
My riding is probably the fastest growing area east of Ottawa and east of Montreal, although until recently Montreal has not grown that fast. However Halifax West has tremendous growth and we are facing lots of challenges because of that. I am pleased to see money going into that, into environmental matters and into other important measures.
I see my time has come to an end, and I appreciate the opportunity to rise in this debate.