An hour ago the Conservatives released the Canadian budget, but from a Green perspective there is not much to report. The budget plans for $40 billion in federal government spending over the next two years and a planned deficit of $85 billion over the next five years. Yet despite this unprecedented government spending, there is very little for Green.The budget outlines infrastructure building programs worth 12 billion, and 3 billion goes into a program for home renovations. The home renovation tax credit program entitles households to as much as $1350 and is valid until February 2010. (The total housing package is worth 8 billion). Although Obama's team has put forward impact data questioning the utility of tax cuts, the Conservative budget offers an additional two billion in income tax cuts. Except for a few dollars to improve grid efficiency, Green industries like clean-energy get no support from this Conservative government.
Sadly, Canadians have missed a valuable opportunity to begin building a twenty-first century Green infrastructure. Rather than elaborating a strategy focusing on the key levers of the economy the ruling government has sprinkled money around with the cynical hope of keeping their hold on power.
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