The Member of Parliament for Windsor West has pointed out parts of the federal budget that he hopes will benefit those in this area.
The minority Liberal government presented the proposed 2024 federal budget in the House of Commons Tuesday afternoon. Among the items included are $8.5-billion in funding for housing and an initiative to tax Canada's wealthiest one per cent.
Brian Masse of the NDP, which has an agreement with the Liberals in the Commons, told WindsorNewsToday.ca that parity is a must.
"We definitely want to see some fairness for taxpayers," said Masse. "You can't go to the middle class anymore. You can't go to the lower-income earners anymore. There needs to be some fairness in this, and so, having this small increase for the wealthiest one per cent in Canada is the least that could happen."
In a region where an affordable housing shortage is acute, Masse said the housing funding is a good start. He cited a plan concerning a property in his riding that he has had an interest in.
"We see the HMCS Hunter noted as a potential target and something I've been after since 2015, especially in cleaning up the property. We had to issue the government a work order in 2017 to do that," said Masse. "It can't be left basically in limbo on Ouellette Avenue, where it could actually be turned into something proper."
Masse's Liberal colleague, Windsor-Tecumseh MP Irek Kusmierczyk, said the budget includes a Public Lands for Homes strategy, which he said will help turn the HMCS Hunter into affordable homes quickly.
One of Masse's pet projects, the planned Ojibway National Urban Park, has also been included in the budget. A total of $36.1-million has been budgeted over five years toward its creation, plus any potential expansion opportunities.