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Announcement on paid sick day ‘enhancements’ coming in near future: House Leader

BT Toronto | posted Thursday, Apr 22nd, 2021

Doug Ford’s government will be announcing “additional enhancements” to paid sick days in the “very near future,” Ontario government house leader, Paul Calandra, said at Queen’s Park on Wednesday without providing further details.
WATCH: https://toronto.citynews.ca/2021/04/21/announcement-on-paid-sick-day-enhancements-coming-in-near-future-house-leader/

When asked by NDP Leader Andrea Horwath if the Ford government would bring paid sick days to Ontario, Calandra responded: “We were … disappointed that the federal budget did not include some of the enhancements that we asked for, that we were assured would be in that budget, and given that those enhancements that we have advocated for (weren’t included) we have been very clear that the government of Ontario would be coming forward with additional enhancements in the very near future.”

Sources tells CityNews an announcement on paid sick days is expected later this week or early next week, but the Ford government won’t be supporting the NDP motion on the matter, with Calandra calling it too “vague.”

Sources also say the Ford government is changing its internal process to avoid rushed decisions that lead to policy reversals.

Premier Ford, who is currently isolating after coming into close contact with a staffer who tested positive for COVID-19, is expected address the public in the near future.

Ford and Solicitor General Sylvia Jones both came under fire for new COVID-19 measures announced last Friday that gave police enhanced powers to stop and question citizens, as well as banning families from using playgrounds.

Both of those measures were reversed a day later after considerable backlash.

Mental Health Resources

News Staff | posted Wednesday, Apr 21st, 2021

If you are in need of mental health support, please reach out to one of the following services who are ready to help:

Black Youth Helpline

  • Serves all youth and specifically responds to the need for a Black youth specific service – offers multicultural youth helpline & services.

Phone: 1-833-294-8650

Canadian Crisis Hotline

  • 1 (888) 353-2273

Crisis Text Line is the free, 24/7, confidential text message service for people in crisis. The service is currently available in the Canada via SMS at 686868.

Hope for Wellness

Phone: (1-855-242-3310) or chat support for Indigenous people

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 

Call 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255) to be directed to a crisis centre closest to you

Pop-up vaccination clinics for residents 18+ opening in Pickering, Ajax

MICHELLE MORTON | posted Wednesday, Apr 21st, 2021

Younger residents in Durham can start getting vaccinated.

Pop-up clinics will be opening up for appointments only in Ajax and Pickering so residents living in hotspot postal code areas 18 years and older, or turning 18 years old this year, can get their shot.

The first pop-up location will be at the Ajax Community Centre at 75 Centennial Road and will be taking appointments only.

On Thursday, April 22 until April  24, appointments will be available for residents living in the L1S, L1T, L1V, L1X and L1Z postal codes from 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

You can start making appointments for these pop-up clinics on Wednesday by going online, or by calling 905-721-4828.

Those going for a jab from these hotspots must show proof of age and address when they arrive.

Afterwards the initial three-day clinics, appointments will continue at the Ajax Community Centre every Sunday to Wednesday until May 28.

 

Toronto cracks down on workplace COVID-19 outbreaks, ordering closures

BT Toronto | posted Wednesday, Apr 21st, 2021

The City of Toronto will force the closure of workplaces where COVID-19 outbreaks have been identified.

WATCH: https://toronto.citynews.ca/2021/04/20/toronto-cracks-down-on-workplace-covid-19-outbreaks-ordering-closures/

On Tuesday, the City said Toronto Public Health was issuing a Section 22 order to close workplaces where five or more COVID-19 cases are identified within a 14-day period.

The closures will last for a minimum of 10 days.

Saying that outbreaks are “increasingly linked to workplaces” the City said in a release that the order “is a necessary tool to break the chains of transmission…”

Order details (Source: City of Toronto):

• The Order is planned to require the closure of certain workplaces, or portions of workplaces, where five or more confirmed cases are identified within a 14-day period and where cases could reasonably have been acquired through infection in the workplace.

• The workplace closure will be in effect for a minimum period of 10 calendar days.

• During this time, workers at the affected workplace will be required to self-isolate.

• Certain workplaces, such as health care facilities, schools, child care centres, and workplaces providing critical services may be exempt from full closure requirements.

“This Section 22 order is meant to help slam the brakes on workplace outbreaks that we know are moving much faster due to the variants of concern,” Mayor John Tory said in a release. “I urge all employers to follow the public health advice to stop outbreaks and protect their employees including against the financial consequences of illness.”

Earlier Tuesday, Peel Public Health said it was issuing the same order for workplaces in the region.

Derek Chauvin found guilty on all charges in George Floyd’s murder

AMY FORLITI, STEPHEN GROVES AND TAMMY WEBBER, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS | posted Wednesday, Apr 21st, 2021

Former Minneapolis Officer Derek Chauvin was convicted Tuesday of murder and manslaughter for pinning George Floyd to the pavement with his knee on the Black man’s neck in a case that touched off worldwide protests, violence and a furious reexamination of racism and policing in the U.S.

WATCH: https://toronto.citynews.ca/2021/04/20/derek-chauvin-verdict-george-floyd/

Chauvin, 45, could be sent to prison for decades.

The verdict set off jubilation around the city. People instantly flooded the surrounding streets downtown, running through traffic with banners. Cars blared their horns. Floyd family members who had gathered at a Minneapolis conference room could be heard cheering and even laughing.

“America, let’s pause for a moment to proclaim this historical moment, not just for the legacy of George Floyd but for the legacy of America,” Floyd family attorney Ben Crump said at a joyous news conference that included Floyd’s young daughter. “This is a victory for those who champion humanity over inhumanity. Those who champion justice over injustice.”

The jury of six white people and six Black or multiracial people came back with its verdict after about 10 hours of deliberations over two days. The now-fired white officer was found guilty on all charges: second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.

His face was obscured by a COVID-19 mask, and little reaction could be seen beyond his eyes darting around the courtroom. His bail was immediately revoked and he was led away with his hands cuffed behind his back. Sentencing will be in two months; the most serious charge carries up to 40 years in prison.

Defence attorney Eric Nelson followed Chauvin out of the courtroom without comment.

As the judge asked jurors if they reached a verdict, a hush fell on the crowd 300 strong in a park adjacent to the courthouse, with people listening to the proceedings on their cellphones. When the final guilty verdict was announced, the crowd roared, many people hugging, some shedding tears.

At the intersection where Floyd was pinned down, a crowd chanted, “One down, three to go!” – a reference to the three other fired Minneapolis police officers facing trial in August on charges of aiding and abetting murder in Floyd’s death.

Janay Henry, who lives nearby, said she felt grateful and relieved.

“I feel grounded. I can feel my feet on the concrete,” she said, adding that she was looking forward to the “next case with joy and optimism and strength.”

An ecstatic Whitney Lewis leaned halfway out a car window in a growing traffic jam of revelers waving a Black Lives Matter flag. “Justice was served,” the 32-year-old from Minneapolis said. “It means George Floyd can now rest.”

Prosecutor Jerry Blackwell, who pounded away at Chauvin’s witnesses during the trial, said the verdict sends a message to Floyd’s family “that he was somebody, that his life matters.”

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison commended the bystanders at Floyd’s slow-motion death who “raised their voices because they knew that what they were seeing was wrong,” and then “told the whole world” what they saw.

Ellison read off the names of others killed in encounters with police and said: “This has to end. We need true justice. That’s not one case. That’s social transformation that says no one is beneath the law and no one is above it.”

The verdict was read in a courthouse ringed with concrete barriers and razor wire and patrolled by National Guard troops, in a city on edge against another round of unrest – not just because of the Chauvin case but because of the deadly police shooting of a young Black man, Daunte Wright, in a Minneapolis suburb April 11.

The jurors’ identities were kept secret and will not be released until the judge decides it is safe to do so.

It is unusual for police officers to be prosecuted for killing someone on the job. Convictions are extraordinarily rare. Out of the thousands of deadly police shootings in the U.S. since 2005, fewer than 140 officers have been charged with murder or manslaughter, according to data maintained by Phil Stinson, a criminologist at Bowling Green State University. Before Tuesday, only seven were convicted of murder.

Floyd, 46, died May 25 after being arrested on suspicion of passing a counterfeit $20 bill for a pack of cigarettes at a corner market. He panicked, pleaded that he was claustrophobic and struggled with police when they tried to put him in a squad car. They put him on the ground instead.

The centerpiece of the case was the excruciating bystander video of Floyd gasping repeatedly, “I can’t breathe” and onlookers yelling at Chauvin to stop as the officer pressed his knee on or close to Floyd’s neck for what authorities say was 9 1/2 minutes. Floyd slowly went silent and limp.

Prosecutors played the footage at the earliest opportunity, during opening statements, and told the jury: “Believe your eyes.” And it was shown over and over, analyzed one frame at a time by witnesses on both sides.

In the wake of Floyd’s death, demonstrations and scattered violence broke out in Minneapolis, around the country and beyond. The furor also led to the removal of Confederate statues and other offensive symbols such as Aunt Jemima.

In the months that followed, numerous states and cities restricted the use of force by police, revamped disciplinary systems or subjected police departments to closer oversight.

The “Blue Wall of Silence” that often protects police accused of wrongdoing crumbled after Floyd’s death: The Minneapolis police chief quickly called it “murder” and fired all four officers, and the city reached a staggering $27 million settlement with Floyd’s family as jury selection was underway.

Police-procedure experts and law enforcement veterans inside and outside the Minneapolis department, including the chief, testified for the prosecution that Chauvin used excessive force and went against his training.

Medical experts for the prosecution said Floyd died of asphyxia, or lack of oxygen, because his breathing was constricted by the way he was held down on his stomach, his hands cuffed behind him, a knee on his neck and his face jammed against the ground.

Chauvin’s attorney called a police use-of-force expert and a forensic pathologist to help make the case that Chauvin acted reasonably against a struggling suspect and that Floyd died because of an underlying heart condition and his illegal drug use.

Floyd had high blood pressure, an enlarged heart and narrowed arteries, and fentanyl and methamphetamine were found in his system.

Under the law, police have certain leeway to use force and are judged according to whether their actions were “reasonable” under the circumstances.

The defence also tried to make the case that Chauvin and the other officers were hindered in their duties by what they perceived as a growing, hostile crowd.

Chauvin did not testify, and all that the jury or the public ever heard by way of an explanation from him came from a police body-camera video after an ambulance had taken the 6-foot-4, 223-pound Floyd away. Chauvin told a bystander: “We gotta control this guy ’cause he’s a sizable guy … and it looks like he’s probably on something.”

The prosecution’s case also included tearful testimony from onlookers who said the police kept them back when they protested what was happening. Eighteen-year-old Darnella Frazier, who shot the crucial video, said Chauvin just gave the bystanders a “cold” and “heartless” stare.

She and others said they felt a sense of helplessness and lingering guilt from witnessing Floyd’s death.

“It’s been nights I stayed up, apologizing and apologizing to George Floyd for not doing more, and not physically interacting and not saving his life,” she said.

Webber reported from Fenton, Michigan. Associated Press video journalist Angie Wang in Atlanta and Associated Press writers Doug Glass, in Minneapolis, Mohamed Ibrahim in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, and Todd Richmond in Madison, Wisconsin, contributed.

Premier Ford tests negative, self-isolating after staff member tests positive for COVID-19

BT Toronto | posted Wednesday, Apr 21st, 2021

Premier Doug Ford is self-isolating after a staff member he was in close contact with tested positive for COVID-19. Ford has since tested negative.

A statement from the premier’s office says the staff member was tested Tuesday after learning they had been at risk of exposure.

Ford had been in close contact with the staffer on Monday. When he learned of the exposure risk, the statement says Ford immediately left the legislature and was tested.

Despite his test result being negative, Ford is following public health advice for close contacts of positive cases and is self-isolating in Toronto.

Other members of the premier’s staff who have been deemed close contacts of the individual who test positive will also be isolating.

“The Premier will continue leading this government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic while in isolation, including briefings with officials and communicating with the public,” read the statement.

Ford received his first dose of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine on April 9.

The premier has been absent in the legislature over the last two days and when Health Minister Christine Elliot was asked where he was, she said he was busy and trying to find vaccines for everyone.

Rogers cell service slowly returns following day-long outage

BT Toronto | posted Tuesday, Apr 20th, 2021

Service for Rogers and Fido cellular phone customers appeared to return Monday evening following a nationwide outage.

“Rogers wireless calls, SMS & data services are starting to return to normal for our customers,” Rogers said in a tweet Monday evening. ” It will take several more hours for all customers and regions to return to full service.”

Rogers said earlier in the day it had identified the cause of intermittent service outages that affected customers across Canada.

In a statement, Chief Technology Officer Jorge Fernandes said technicians “pinpointed a recent Ericsson software update that affected a piece of equipment in the central part of our wireless network.”

Customers across the country began reporting issues on social media Monday morning, with some experiencing complete service failure, while others said they could make calls but not use data.

Reports indicated customers who call in for help could be on hold for as long as three hours.

Dozens of online posts indicate the problem has already lasted for a number of hours.

“We sincerely apologize and thank our customers for their patience,” the company said in a statement.

Although the service disruption appeared to be concentrated in southern Ontario, an outage map suggested the problems spanned the country from British Columbia to Nova Scotia.

Vaccines available to 35+ in 5 York Region postal codes, 60+ across municipality

BT Toronto | posted Tuesday, Apr 20th, 2021

York Region is lowering the COVID-19 vaccine eligibility age to 35 and over in five high priority postal codes.

Those born in 1986 or earlier living in the following postal code areas will be eligible to get the shot as of Tuesday morning:

  • L4L
  • L6A
  • L4K
  • L4J
  • L3S

In addition, York Region residents aged 60 and older can also book an appointment for their shot starting Tuesday at 8:30 a.m.

Approximately 20,000 appointments are available for these groups. More will become available based on vaccine availability as the region continues to experience a “serious reduction” in supply, as per a release on Monday.

Walk-ins are not available and residents must book on the online portal or via phone at the specific clinic they choose.

The region has implemented a colour-coded system on the booking portal to make it easier to identify which clinics may have available appointments:

  • Red: Appointments Fully Booked
  • Orange: Limited Availability
  • Green: Now Booking

 

York Region spokesman Patrick Casey added that, with the AstraZeneca vaccine now approved for those 40 and older, residents in the region are encouraged to book appointments at select pharmacies and primary care settings in York Region or at the Soccer City vaccine clinic in Whitchurch-Stouffville.

Previously identified age groups are still eligible for vaccines and can also book appointments.

Ford reaching out to international allies as AstraZeneca shipment to Ontario likely delayed

BT Toronto | posted Tuesday, Apr 20th, 2021

The Office of the Premier says he was notified Monday to “be prepared” for delays to the two shipments of AstraZeneca vaccine that were expected from the federal government later this month and next month.

This after Moderna shipments to Canada have already been cut and delayed.

“As we look to expand our rollout of AstraZeneca to younger age groups and into more pharmacies, any delays to vaccine shipments would be devastating for Ontario right now as we battle the third wave of this pandemic,” said spokeswoman Ivana Yelich in a statement.

She said the information is yet to be confirmed, but in the meantime, Premier Doug Ford is increasing efforts to source more vaccines directly from international allies.

Ford has reportedly already spoken with the Consulate General of the United States and Canada’s ambassador to Denmark who are passing the request upwards to their administrations.

Ontario officials have also reached out to the ambassador to Norway and Ford is set to speak with the EU ambassador to Canada and the High Commissioner of India later Monday to “ask for any extra AstraZeneca vaccines.”

On Friday, Moderna said it will be cutting its vaccine shipment to Canada by half. The vaccines that were scheduled for delivery at the end of April will now be 650,000 doses instead of 1.2 million.

Further, the company said that of the 12.3 million doses scheduled to arrive in the second quarter of the year, one to two million will now be pushed back to the third quarter.

Procurement minister Anita Anand said Moderna advised that the changes are due to a slower than expected ramp-up of the drugmaker’s production capacity and is affecting a number of countries.

Federal Budget 2021: A focus on childcare, jobs, post-pandemic recovery

HANA MAE NASSAR, CORMAC MAC SWEENEY, AND MIKE EPPEL | posted Tuesday, Apr 20th, 2021

OTTAWA – Affordable childcare, supporting the workforce, and equality in the economy are some of the key highlights out of the Liberal government’s Budget 2021.

WATCH: https://toronto.citynews.ca/2021/04/19/federal-budget-2021/

The Liberals are outlining their way out of the COVID-19 pandemic, with growing the economy the main driver for recovery.

“We must punch our way out of the COVID recession,” said Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland Monday.

“…this is an economic shock of a very particular kind. We are not suffering because of endogenous flaws or imbalances within our economy. Rather, the COVID recession is driven by an entirely external event – like the economic devastation of a flood, blizzard, wildfire, or other natural disaster.”

The overarching theme for this budget is, as has been the case in the past, equality in the workforce. In this budget, which includes $101.4 billion in spending, the Liberals are putting an emphasis on new measures that will help women, families, and minority Canadians, as well as get businesses back up and running, and looking ahead to a greener future.

WATCH: https://toronto.citynews.ca/2021/04/19/federal-budget-2021/

This year’s budget is a first on many fronts. It’s the first one by the Liberals as a minority government, the first in the midst of a global pandemic, and the first as the federal government reports a record deficit.

Since the last budget was tabled in March 2019, much has changed. The COVID-19 pandemic has destroyed thousands of jobs, put many in uncertain ways, and left the federal government in a massive financial hole. As a result of spending to try to get Canadians through the health crisis, the federal deficit has skyrocketed, with the total for 2020-2021 now sitting at $354 billion. While that is less than what was projected in the fall economic update ($382 billion), getting the country back into the black will not be a simple task.

There is no date by which the federal government expects to eliminate its debt.

While the federal deficit is lower than was initially projected, Ian Lee, associate professor of management at Carleton University’s Sprott School of Business, says when we’re talking about billions of dollars, the difference between $354 billion and $382 billion is marginal.

“I’m sure they were very careful, they wanted to come in a little bit lower than what was forecast in the fall statement, and they did, give them credit, but it’s still a gargantuan number. In roughly three years, they will have doubled the debt-to-GDP ratio of the federal government to the Canadian economy,” he said.

Some see budget 2021 as a pre-election platform for the Trudeau Liberals. This fiscal plan needs the support of at least one other party, or the Liberals risk a snap election.

Here are the top takeaways:

GETTING THROUGH COVID-19

The budget, of course, accounts for the fact that we continue to live amidst a global pandemic. Budget 2021 continues to underscore the federal government’s promise that every Canadian who wants to be vaccinated will have received all necessary doses by September. However, in addition to making vaccine promises, the federal budget also makes proposals to fill gaps that were exposed early on in this pandemic.

Protecting our seniors

Budget 2021 proposes $3 billion over five years to Health Canada to support provinces and territories in making sure standards are upheld in long-term care. The pandemic unveiled major inadequacies in long-term care facilities across the country, with people living in these centres being the hardest-hit demographic months into the health crisis.

In addition to funding for long-term care, the federal government plans to work with jurisdictions to ensure seniors and others living in care are living “in safe and dignified conditions.” Money is also being proposed to help Statistics Canada improve its data infrastructure and collection when it comes to supportive and primary care, as well as pharmaceuticals.

However, many people want to spend their later years at home as opposed to in a care facility. Budget 2021 also proposes $90 million over three years to launch the Age Well at Home Initiative which would help community organizations support low-income and other vulnerable seniors stay home for longer.

The budget also proposes increasing Old Age Security for seniors 75 years and older, starting in 2022.

CHILDCARE

$10 a day childcare

Could Canadians see $10 a day daycare become a reality? That’s the plan, according to Budget 2021, which outlines steps to get to that goal by 2025-26.

Working with provincial, territorial, and Indigenous partners, the Liberals are proposing the introduction of the National Early Learning and Child Care Plan. This plan aims to get families get back to work, while knowing their children are safe and well taken care of, without digging themselves into a financial hole.

The government’s ambitious goal is to bring fees for regulated childcare down to $10 a day on average within the next five years. This has been a major ask, both on provincial and federal levels, for years.

The Liberals plan to invest up to $30 billion over the next five years, as well as $8.5 billion in ongoing spending to support this vision. The party aims to see a 50 per cent reduction in average fees for regulated early learning and childcare by the end of 2022. This would apply across Canada, except for Quebec, which already has programs in place to keep rates down through what the Liberals call a “well-established system.” The budget includes a potential agreement with that province to help it continue to improve its system.

WATCH: https://toronto.citynews.ca/2021/04/19/federal-budget-2021/

Budget 2021 suggests the plan could help get as many as 240,000 workers into the labour force, which could result in a 1.2 per cent rise in the real GDP over the next two decades.

Of course, with additional spaces comes the need for additional childhood educators. Budget 2021 proposes training and development for this sector.

The plan to get rates down to $10 a day is contingent on partnerships with the provinces and territories.

Canada’s Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care Framework

Budget 2021 aims to build on the Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care Framework, which was co-developed with Indigenous partners in 2018. This includes a proposed investment of $2.5 billion over the next five years to ensure Indigenous families have access to high-quality care that fits their needs. Hundreds of millions of dollars are also being proposed for before and after-school care, as well as physical improvements and renovations to early learning and childcare centres.

Helping children with disabilities

Budget 2021 proposes $29.2 million over two years to help children with disabilities. This money would be provided to Employment and Social Development Canada through the Enabling Accessibility Fund to help support centres and make physical upgrades to improve accessibility.

HELPING BUSINESSES AND THE WORKFORCE

Extending and expanding supports

Budget 2021 proposes an extension to many of the COVID-19 support programs introduced last year to help Canadians weather the pandemic. The extensions would apply to the Canada Wage Subsidy, the Canada Rent Subsidy, and Lockdown Supports until Sept. 25, 2021.

Meanwhile, the federal Liberals are proposing up to 12 additional weeks for the Canada Recovery Benefit, to a maximum of 50 weeks, in addition to an additional four weeks to a maximum of 42 for the Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit.

The budget is also looking to make Employment Insurance more accessible to Canadians across the country. In addition, it is looking at making longer-term reforms to the EI program (page 89), including changes to sickness benefits to help Canadians who may need longer support to deal with illness or treatment.

However, what is noticeably missing from Budget 2021 is a paid sick leave program. This is despite repeated calls from opposition leaders and industry stakeholders, with calls growing over the course of the past year due to the pandemic.

The federal government also plans to introduce legislation to establish a $15 per hour minimum wage, rising with inflation, for those in the federally regulated private sector. It says provisions will ensure that provincial and territorial wages that are higher will prevail. The government estimates this increase in the minimum wage will help more than 26,000 workers across the country.

Canada Recovery Hiring Program

With many businesses having been forced to lay off staff and remain closed for months on end, Budget 2021 is proposing a new program to help these companies hire back staff and get back on their feet.

The Canada Recovery Hiring Program, which would run from June to November, proposes $595 million to support eligible businesses in this endeavor. The program would offset a portion of the extra costs employers have to deal with when reopening, for example by increasing wages or hours, or hiring additional bodies. Eligible businesses would claim either the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy or this new program — whichever is higher.

With rates for this program and the subsidy expected to ramp down in the coming months, the federal government hopes this slowdown will incentivize businesses to get hiring as soon as possible to maximize their return through these supports.

This new program would help Canadian-controlled private corporations, individuals, charities, and non-profits, and is expected to cost about $595 million in 2021-22.

Getting businesses into the new age

In addition to hiring workers, the federal Liberals want to help bring businesses into the digital age with ease. That’s where the Canada Digital Adoption Program comes in. The proposed program would support businesses in the adoption of new technology to help them grow. It’s expected to provide businesses with the support and information they need, as well as training workers to actually use these technologies.

The Canada Digital Adoption Program could create thousands of jobs and help as many as 160,000 small- and medium-sized businesses, according to the budget document.

The budget proposes a Digital Services Tax on revenue from digital services that rely on data and content contributions from Canadian users. At a rate of three per cent, the Digital Services Tax would apply to large businesses with gross revenues of €750 million or more. The tax would be applicable at the start of 2022, until there is a multilateral approach.

“Our government is committed to working with our partners at the OECD to find multilateral solutions to the dangerous race to the bottom in corporate taxation,” she added.

The Liberals estimate this tax could generate about $3.4 billion in revenue over five years.

A GREENER ECONOMY

While the government has tied Canada’s COVID-19 recovery to a growing economy, the federal Liberals are also shining a light on the importance of going green.

Budget 2021 makes note of the real and significant threat climate change poses and proposes a number of action plans to address the matter.

The plan proposes to provide $5 billion over seven years to the Net Zero Accelerator, which would allow the government to support projects to help reduce domestic greenhouse gas emissions.

Budget 2021 also looks to make investments in clean tech, with up to $1 billion proposed on a cash basis over five years to help draw in private sector investments for these projects.

The Liberals want to reduce general corporate and small business income tax rates for businesses that manufacture zero-emissions technologies to help incentivize that sector. However, reductions would being on Jan. 1, 2022 and be gradually scaled back starting at the beginning of 2029.

Examples of zero-emissions technologies include the manufacturing of wind turbines, solar panels, and more.

OTHER THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT BUDGET 2021

Student supports

As we look ahead to a post-pandemic world and economy, the federal Liberals are looking to support students and graduates.

Budget 2021 looks to double the Canada Student Grant for two more years, and waive interest fees on federal student loans for an addition two years, through March 2023. In addition to waiving interest fees, the budget proposes giving more than 450,000 low-income borrowers access to “more generous repayment assistance,” though it’s unclear what exactly that entails.

The budget looks to help create 215,000 additional skills development and work opportunities to help Canadian youth and students get into or rejoin the workforce over the course of the next two years.

Fighting systemic racism

Building off promises in the fall economic statement, Budget 2021 makes proposals to continue work in fighting for a more equitable and inclusive Canada. It calls for $11 million over two years to go toward the Canadian Race Relations Foundation to scale up efforts to empower racialized Canadians and fight against racism.

The money can be used by the foundation to fund initiatives

In addition to this, Budget 2021 proposes $2 million to enhance Public Safety Canada’s program to help protect communities that are at risk of hate-motivated crimes. This funding can be used by organizations to enhance security infrastructure.

Affordable housing

As part of Budget 2021, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation would receive $2.5 billion over seven years to address urgent housing needs of vulnerable Canadians. Money is broken down, with some being allocated to building additional units, while other portions would go to supports for low-income earners and women.

A cost for vaping and more taxes on tobacco

Budget 2021 is taking aim at vaping products, noting the government plans to introduce new taxes on vaping products starting in 2022. It’s unclear how much taxes on these products would amount to, however, the federal government says it’s open to working with provinces and territories to develop a coordinated approach to dealing with these items.

Tobacco users will also likely see their products cost more if Budget 2021 passes. In an effort to achieving its goal of less than five per cent of the population using tobacco products by 2035, the federal Liberals are looking to increase duty on these items. To give you an idea, this would result in an increase of about $4 per carton of 200 cigarettes, along with increases to other tobacco products.

The Liberals estimate this increased tax could result in increased revenues by $2.1 billion over five years.

Reducing credit card fees

COVID-19 has forced many businesses to shift to more digital payments, with merchants and customers alike looking to decrease contact out of transmission concerns. However, credit card fees can be high, and in some cases, unaffordable for businesses to manage.

While no figure has been proposed, the federal government says it will engage with stakeholders to look at how the average overall cost of providing credit card payment options can be brought down. The consultations will also look to ensure small businesses are profiting from pricing similar to larger businesses, and that consumers don’t lose access to their existing rewards.

-With files from Xiaoli Li