Investing in the Middle Class: Budget 2019

Tabled in the House of Commons by the Honourable William Francis Morneau, P.C., M.P. Minister of Finance Department of Finance Canada March 19, 2019 Reference: https://www.budget.gc.ca/2019/docs/plan/budget-2019-en.pdf Nearly four years ago, Canadians chose to invest in their future and in the years since, those investments have begun to pay off. For instance, this year a typical middle class family of four will receive, on average, about $2,000 more in support than they did in 2015, thanks to the middle class tax cut and the Canada Child Benefit among other initiatives. Regardless of further progress for the middle class, in 2019 there persists a sense among some Canadians that the promise of progress—the idea that with hard work, everyone can build a better life—may no longer hold true. High housing costs, mounting household debt, a rapidly changing job market, and the steady erosion of things that used to offer a sense of security—like employer-sponsored pension plans—are adding to the sense of uncertainty. Much more needs to be done to make sure all Canadians feel confident and secure about their future and Budget 2019 is about building on this progress, and continuing to make a real difference in the lives of Canadians today, and into the future.