Introduction
As Canadians, we are proud of the country we have built together. We
live in the most beautiful country in the world, and we must preserve
and protect our lands, water and air. We have also built a first-rate
health care system, which requires new investment and modernization to
remain on the cutting edge.
Preserving Our Environment
Budget 2007 invests $4.5 billion to clean our air and water,
reduce greenhouse gases and combat climate change, as well as protect
our natural environment. Combined with investments since 2006 totalling
over $4.7 billion, the resulting investments total over
$9 billion.
Cleaner Energy, Better Energy Efficiency
Canada is an emerging energy superpower. We are well positioned to
take advantage of our significant natural resources in new, innovative
and environmentally friendly ways that will provide significant benefits
to the economy.
Budget 2007 proposes to:
- Provide over $1.5 billion in the Canada ecoTrust for Clean
Air and Climate Change to support major environmental projects with
provinces and territories.
- Commit to identifying additional measures to promote promising new
clean energy technologies like carbon capture and storage.
- Phase out the accelerated capital cost allowance for general
investment in the oil sands by 2015.
Promoting Cleaner Transportation
Cleaner, more efficient fuels and vehicles will help reduce
greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution. Budget 2007 includes:
- An additional $2 billion over seven years to support the
production of renewable fuels, including:
- A $1.5-billion incentive to support the production of renewable
biofuels, such as ethanol and biodiesel.
- $500 million for Sustainable Development Technology Canada
to invest with the private sector in establishing large-scale
facilities for the production of next-generation renewable fuels.
- A Vehicle Efficiency Incentive structure that will include a new
rebate of up to $2,000 for the purchase of a new fuel-efficient
vehicle, and a Green Levy on new fuel-inefficient vehicles.
- $36 million over the next two years for "scrappage"
programs to retire older vehicles.
- Extension of the public transit tax credit to electronic fare
cards and weekly passes used on an ongoing basis.
Protecting Canada’s Natural Heritage
Building on recent measures to help protect our natural environment,
which include more than $250 million for such measures as the
Natural Areas Conservation Program and safeguarding the Great Bear
Rainforest on the central coast of British Columbia, Budget 2007
allocates:
- $10 million over two years to conserve ecologically
important lands in the Northwest Territories, which will protect an
important part of our boreal forest and build on the agreement to work
towards permanently protecting a National Historic site the size of
Prince Edward Island.
- $110 million over two years for more effective
implementation of the Species at Risk Act.
- $22 million over two years to improve the enforcement of
environmental protection laws, including a 50-per-cent increase in the
number of enforcement officers.
National Water Strategy
Canada has the third-largest supply of fresh water in the world. We
must all do our part to preserve and protect our rivers, lakes and
oceans for future generations. Budget 2007 proposes a new National Water
Strategy, which will include:
- $12 million over two years to support the clean-up of Lake
Simcoe, Ontario, which has been affected by excessive amounts of
phosphorus.
- $11 million over two years to accelerate the clean-up of
the Great Lakes and $7 million for the Lake Winnipeg Basin.
- $19 million to advance the health of the oceans and
support greater water pollution prevention, surveillance and
enforcement along Canada’s coasts.
- $39 million for fisheries science research programs to
strengthen management and conservation.
- Federal support for investments by provinces, territories and
municipalities to improve water and wastewater infrastructure,
including treatment facilities, sewage collection and water
distribution.
- $324 million over 10 years to the Canadian Coast Guard for
six new large vessels to support its role in fisheries science and
enforcement.
Building on Our Success
The three E’s of the environment, the economy and energy are
inextricably linked. A modern economy needs to be energy efficient; as
an emerging energy superpower, we can fuel our own economy; and a clean
and healthy environment will attract and keep the jobs we need.
Since 2006, Canada’s New Government has committed over
$9 billion to preserve and protect our environment, including:
- $2.4 billion for cleaner energy and energy efficiency.
- $2 billion for cleaner transportation.
- $300 million for natural heritage conservation and a
cleaner, healthier environment.
- A clean air agenda that replaces voluntary approaches and a
patchwork of regulatory processes across the country with a national
mandatory system that will achieve real results.
Modernizing Our Health Care System
Canadians are proud of their health care system, but we must
constantly work to keep it strong. Among other things, Budget 2007
proposes to increase funding for Canada Health Infoway, for a Patient
Wait Times Guarantee Trust, for the Canadian Institute for Health
Information, and for provinces and territories to protect women and
girls from cancer of the cervix.
The Canada Health Transfer will provide $21.3 billion in 2007–08,
or $1.2 billion over payments made in 2006–07, to support
provincial and territorial health delivery. This will continue to grow
by 6 per cent annually to reach $30.3 billion in 2013–14.
In addition to these transfers, Budget 2007 proposes to directly
invest:
- An additional $400 million for Canada Health Infoway to
support provincial and territorial development of electronic health
records that will reduce wait times, reduce the risk of medical errors
and lead to better outcomes.
- Up to $612 million to support jurisdictions that have made
commitments to implement patient wait times guarantees.
- $30 million over three years for patient wait times
guarantee pilot projects to assist provinces and territories in
implementing their patient wait times guarantees.
- $300 million in per capita funding for provinces and
territories to support the launch of a national human papillomavirus
vaccine program to protect women against cancer of the cervix.
- $10 million over the next two years and $15 million
per year thereafter for the establishment of a Canadian Mental Health
Commission.
- $2 million in one-time funding to support the Canadian
MedicAlert Foundation’s goal of implementing its No Child Without
program in all elementary schools in Canada.
- A $22-million-per-year increase to help the Canadian Institute
for Health Information build on its reputation as a world leader in
providing timely, accurate and comparable health information that
supports improved health delivery outcomes.
How Can I Get More Information on Budget 2007?
Information is available on the Internet at www.fin.gc.ca or by
phoning:
1 800 O-Canada (1 800 622-6232)
1 800 926-9105
(TTY for the speech and hearing impaired/deaf)
You can also obtain copies of this brochure and other budget
documents from the:
Distribution Centre
Department of Finance Canada
Room P-135, West Tower
300 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0G5
Phone: 613-995-2855
Fax: 613-996-0518
E-mail: services-distribution@fin.gc.ca