In keeping with the Liberals’ commitment to ensuring an inclusive and open government, Oakville North-Burlington MP Pam Damoff continued the Finance Minister’s collaborative approach to budget planning by participating in a large number of extensive pre-budget consultations across the riding in January to gather input from a variety of individuals, groups and organizations on the key issues that should be addressed in the federal governments’ upcoming budget.
In early January 2016, Minister of Finance, Bill Morneau officially launched the government’s pre-budget consultations and called upon Canadians to share their thoughts on how to better support the middle class, create jobs, and set the right conditions for long-term prosperity and stronger economic growth. Throughout the month of January, Ms. Damoff participated in consultations with a large number of groups across Oakville North-Burlington including the Oakville Chamber of Commerce, the Town of Oakville, Region of Halton, representatives of local unions, businesses, social service providers as well as other local MPs and MPPs. She also invited all residents in the riding to have their say on the budget through her Facebook and Twitter pages.
The input Ms. Damoff received during pre-budget consultations covered a number of broad themes, including economic growth, climate change, social infrastructure – particularly housing, public transit, youth employment, a national transportation strategy, local infrastructure including active transportation like cycling and walking, and green infrastructure.
Both Oakville and Burlington provided local projects that would be priorities for their respective Councils and were clear that they need stable and sustainable funding for intrastructure with a process that allows for transformational change in the riding. The Oakville Chamber stressed the importance of small and medium-sized business to both our local economy and to national economic growth.