2006 Canadian federal budget

Infobox Canadian budget
year = 2006


imagesize =
caption =
presented = May 2, 2006
parliament = 39th
party = Conservative
minister = Jim Flaherty
passed = June 6 2006
debt_payment = $3 billion
bill = C-13
bill_link = http://www2.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?DocId=2333915&Language=e

The Canadian federal budget for fiscal year 2006-2007 was presented to the Canadian House of Commons by Finance Minister Jim Flaherty on May 2, 2006. Among the most-discussed elements of the federal budget were its reduction of the Goods and Services Tax by one percentage point, income tax cuts for middle-income earners, and $1,200-per-child childcare payment (the "Universal Child Care Benefit") for Canadian parents.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper called the bill a message of what Canadians should expect from his Conservative minority government. Many aspects of it were criticized by opposition parties. The Liberal Party and New Democratic Party indicated that they would not support the budget, while the Bloc Québécois indicated that it would vote in favour of it.

On June 6 2006, the budget was introduced for third reading in the House of Commons. Amid an apparent mix-up, and confusion, no MPs rose to speak. Thus, the budget was declared passed by unanimous consent, passing through the House a week earlier than had been scheduled.

Highlights

These initiatives are to be delivered in periods that vary from one to five years:

*$1.1 billion for the Canadian Forces.
*$2 billion in general spending cuts.
*The creation of the Canada Employment Credit, a tax credit to be worth approximately $155 per employed Canadian by 2007.
*$1 billion for emergency preparedness, specifically against a potential flu pandemic.
*A decrease (in law) in the lowest income tax rate from 16% to 15.25% for 2006, and to 15.5% for subsequent years. [Bill C-80, introduced by the Liberal government 6 days prior to disolution of the 38th Parliament, proposed to decrease the lowest income tax rate from 16% to 15% and increase the personally basic amount by $500 effective January 2005. This bill only passed the first reading and was not law [http://www.parl.gc.ca/LEGISINFO/index.asp?Language=E&Chamber=N&StartList=A&EndList=Z&Session=13&Type=0&Scope=I&query=4605&List=toc-1] . According to convention, changes to tax laws are implemented as soon as announced by the government, even if applicable legislation has not yet been passed through Parliament. Thus, the Canada Revenue Agency implemented the changes while parliament was dissolved.]
*Increases to the amount that an individual can earn before paying personal income tax from about $8,300 to $10,000 by 2010.
*A reduction of the general corporate income tax rate from 21% in 2007 to 19% in 2010, and elimination of the 3% corporate income surtax after 2006.
*$160 million for hiring new police officers at the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
*$3 billion dollars to reduce the government's debt.
*No funding for the Kyoto Protocol
*No funding for the Kelowna Accord

Notes

ee also

* 2007 Canadian federal budget
* Domestic policy of the Harper government

External links

* [http://www.fin.gc.ca/budtoce/2006/budliste.htm Budget Documents]
* [http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060501/flaherty_tax_060501/20060501?hub=CTVNewsAt11 CTV News]
* [http://www.theglobeandmail.com/budget The Globe And Mail]
* [http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/May2006/02/c2917.html Canada NewsWire]
* [http://www.cbc.ca/story/business/national/2006/06/06/budget.html Federal budget passes unopposed on mix-up] – CBC.ca