What does the budget mean for Kelowna?

The federal budget for 2017 was released on Wednesday but you may be wondering how it will affect us here in the Okanagan.

Liberal Kelowna — Lake Country MP Stephen Fuhr said it has a continuing theme of help for the middle class with investment in both infrastructure and skills training.

As noted in the budget notes, money will go to teaching young people to code, something Fuhr said will help the country adapt through the next 10 or 20 years.

“We're going to have to be able to shift gears on employment because some of the jobs we do currently will be automated in the future,” he said.

The budget will push the country further into a deficit, but Fuhr said Canada has the lowest debt to GDP ratio of any G7 nation and further spending will boost the economy.

"We have the fiscal capacity to invest in ourselves,” he said. “I understand people's concern about that but you have to spend money to make money and the numbers show that the approach is working.”

Although water is a municipal issue, Fuhr said infrastructure budgeting will allow for federal support when needed, which will apply to Kelowna through the SEKID/SOMID Water Supply Project, the Eldorado Treated Water Reservoir & Glenmore Booster Station and the construction of the Rose Valley Water Treatment Plant.

They have also pledged $11 billion for affordable housing across the country.

"If you live in Kelowna, you know that's an issue,” Fuhr said.

The federal government has not specified when the country will be out of a deficit.

Conservative Central Okanagan — Similkameen — Nicola MP Dan Albas said this represents a broken promise that the Liberals would keep the deficit under $10 billion per year and balance the budget by 2019.

"Mr. Trudeau is making life more expensive,” he said, citing a tax increase on beer as one example. “Someone said, ‘It’s taxing away Saturday night,’ and I totally agree.”

Albas said getting rid of the Canada Savings Bond will impact the ability to save.

"They're overspending and they're not allowing Canadians to save more in safe vehicles like tax-free savings accounts and savings bonds,” he said.

On the other hand, Albas said he’s happy to see that the opioid crisis will be a priority, with new medical treatments that will help people get treatment for fentanyl addictions.