The MP for Windsor-Tecumseh is calling Monday's federal budget, "the right budget at the right time."
Irek Kusmierczyk says the Liberal government has made a pledge to support families through the third wave of COVID-19 while stimulating the economic recovery post-pandemic.
The budget will see $101.4-billion in new spending which will aid several new benefits including a 50% reduction in childcare costs over the next year, a Canada-wide $15/hour minimum wage and help for businesses to bring back laid-off workers.
Kusmierczyk says the budget provides a long-term plan.
"This is a budget that is going to finish the fight against COVID, but also to help us in terms of our recovery to build back better, get our economy up and running and getting Canadians back to work," says Kusmierczyk. "It is a tremendous budget."
He says affordable childcare has been talked about for decades.
"Universal, affordable childcare is something that this country has been talking about for 50 years and we're delivering that," he says. "What we've seen during the pandemic is it's really brought to light weaknesses that we have in our society and a lot of parents have had to stay home to take care of children."
Kusmierczyk says the goal is to build the workforce back up to pre-pandemic days.
"What we're seeing here is a number of programs and investments that are going to create a million jobs this year and get us back to where we were," says Kusmierczyk. "This is a historic budget and it's about building back a more equitable, fair and prosperous Canada."
The budget titled "A Recovery Plan for Jobs, Growth, and Resilience" projects the federal deficit to hit $354.2-billion with it slated to drop to $154.7-billion by the end of the current fiscal year.