Racial justice and the Federal Budget 2024 - Fairness for Every Generation ( Government of Canada - April 16, 2024 ) ?

[Colour of Poverty]

Colour of Change Network members - some highlights below from the federal budget of relevance to Indigenous Peoples and peoples of colour - the Canadian Race Relations Foundation (CRRF) certainly came away a big winner - with a commitment of over $12 million in annual budget going forward - and what of the community !?  See full budget by clicking on - Budget 2024 - Fairness for Every Generation ( Government of Canada - April 16, 2024 ) - fyi - michael

Sections below

1) Gender Results Framework and Gender-based Analysis Plus commitments

2) Some larger framing budget commitments of long-term relevance to all Canadians

3) Sample Indigenous Peoples related investments

4) Highlights particularly relevant to peoples of colour

5) Investments of a general interest and relevance 

6) Housing related items

7) Justice related items 

8) Health related items 

9) Good jobs and meaningful opportunities for everyone 

10) Education related items

11) Economic growth and productivity 

12) Anti-Hate 

1) Gender Results Framework and Gender-based Analysis Plus commitments - 

In 2018 the Government introduced the Gender Results Framework - to align with its existing Gender-based Analysis Plus commitments - intending to ensure that gender is considered in addition and in relation to other intersecting identity factors - including age, disability, education, ethnicity, race, geography, sex, religion, economic status, and language.

2) Some larger framing budget commitments of long-term relevance to all Canadians - 

- $93 billion suite of major economic investment tax credits, on a priority basis, to drive clean growth

- new 10 per cent Electric Vehicle Supply Chain investment tax credit for businesses that invest across key segments of the electric vehicle supply chain, on the cost of buildings

- support to clean fuels projects by retooling the Clean Fuels Fund to deliver funding, faster, and extending the Fund for an additional four years, until 2029-30

- for capital gains realized on or after June 25, 2024 taxes will increase for the wealthiest 0.13 per cent ( who have an average annual income of $1.42 million ) To make Canada's system more fair, the inclusion rate - the portion of capital gains on which tax is paid - for capital gains for individuals with more than $250,000 in capital gains in a year will increase from one-half to two-thirds. Individuals will continue to only pay tax on 50 per cent of any capital gains up to $250,000 per year. The inclusion rate will also increase to two-thirds for all capital gains realized by corporations and trusts, NOTE - Capital gains from principal residences will remain tax-free to ensure Canadians do not pay capital gains taxes when selling their home. Any amount you make when you sell your home will remain tax-free. Capital gains within the Canada Pension Plan, Quebec Pension Plan, a Registered Retirement Savings Plan, Tax-Free Savings Account, Tax-Free First Home Savings Account, or other registered savings vehicle will remain tax-free

3) Some Indigenous Peoples related investments - 

- Indigenous Peoples measures account for 15 per cent of targeted Budget 2024 investments

- $275 million over two years, starting in 2024-25 to Indigenous Services Canada to maintain Indigenous Governance and Capacity programs and support governance capacity development

- $12.6 million over two years, starting in 2024-25, to Indigenous Services Canada to continue implementing and advancing the New Fiscal Relationship with First Nations communities

-  $927 million for On-Reserve Income Assistance, 

- Expand opt-in Indigenous tax jurisdiction frameworks that advance self-determination and build strong fiscal relationships while generating important revenues for Indigenous community priorities

- Additional $96 million to continue to address the Legacy of Residential Schools, to support Survivors, their families, and their communities, along with educating all people about these truths

- $1.3 million to co-develop, with Indigenous partners, a regional Red Dress Alert system as a priority first phase of a national system

- $91 million over two years, starting in 2024-25, to Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada to increase the support provided to communities to document, locate, and memorialize burial sites at former residential schools

- $5 million over three years, starting in 2025-26, to Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada to establish a program to combat Residential School denialism

- $89 million to support the Hatchet Lake All-seasons Road Project in Saskatchewan and the Berens River Bridge and Road Project in Ontario to provide safe, reliable road access

- $175 million for First Nations Emergency Management and Preparedness to equip communities with the tools they need to combat increasingly frequent climate disasters, particularly wildfires, in addition to the $260 million provided in the 2023 Fall Economic Statement

See the full Chapter 6 - A Fair Future for Indigenous Peoples - in Budget 2024 - Fairness for Every Generation ( Government of Canada - April 16, 2024 ) - https://www.budget.canada.ca/2024/report-rapport/chap6-en.html

4) Highlights particularly relevant to peoples of colour 

- $8 million over the next five years, beginning in 2024-25, with $1.6 million ongoing to the Department of Justice to expand Impact of Race and Culture Assessments (IRCAs). IRCAs play a crucial role in helping judges grasp how racism, poverty, and discrimination shape the experiences of peoples of colour within the justice system 

- Expand the Local Food Infrastructure Fund with $62.9 million over three years to support community organizations across Canada to invest in local food infrastructure, with priority to be given to Indigenous Peoples, peoples of colour, and other equity-seeking ( and of course deserving ) groups

- $11 million over 2 years, starting in 2024-25, to the Dept. of Canadian Heritage to support the Sikh Arts & Culture Foundation and the Royal Ontario Museum to create a museum space in Toronto dedicated to Sikh arts, culture, and heritage - and - support the operations of the Hellenic Community of Vancouver

- the federal government is also committing itself to be a funding partner in British Columbia for both a new museum highlighting the histories, cultures, and contributions of Canadians of diverse South Asian heritages, as well as a new Filipino cultural centre 

- $45 million over five years, starting in 2025-26, and $9 million ongoing, to support the capacity of the Canadian Race Relations Foundation

- $4 million over 2 years, starting in 2024-25, for the Public Health Agency of Canada to continue supporting initiatives through the Mental Health of Black Canadians Fund that aim to increase health equity and address mental health and its determinants for Black Canadians

- $7.3 million over 6 years, starting in 2024-25, with $1.1 million ongoing, to the Dept. of Canadian Heritage to support the Special Representative on Combatting Islamophobia. This builds on previous funding in Budget 2022 of $5.6 million over five years, starting 2022-23, and $1.2 million ongoing 

- $7.3 million over 6 years, starting in 2024-25, with $1.1 million ongoing, to the Dept. of Canadian Heritage to support the Special Envoy on Preserving Holocaust Remembrance and Combatting Antisemitism. This builds on previous funding in Budget 2022 of $5.6 million over five years, starting in 2022-23, and $1.2 million ongoing

See the Budget 2024 - Statement on Gender, Diversity, and Inclusion - with some revealing statistics and interesting infographics highlighting various disparities or gaps experienced by Indigenous Peoples and peoples of colour - attached or -  - https://www.budget.canada.ca/2024/report-rapport/gdql-egdqv-en.pdf

5) Investments of a general interest and relevance - 

- Canada Child Benefit, introduced in 2016, helped lift 650,000 children out of poverty between 2015 and 2021, Early Learning and Child Care

- Establishing a Child Care Expansion Loan Program - $1 billion in low-cost loans and $60 million in non-repayable contributions to not-for-profit child care providers for the construction and renovation of child care centres

- $1.5 billion over five years to launch the new National Pharmacare Plan with first phase covering both the contraceptive health care needs of women and diabetes medication

- Canada Dental Benefit ( Canadian Dental Care Plan ) - to date, over 406,000 children under 12 have received the interim Canada Dental Benefit, helping ensure they can access the dental care they need by December 2023

- 13 bilateral agreements have been signed with the provinces and territories to support the implementation of the National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence

- income-tested Canada Disability Benefit - $6.1 billion over six years, and $1.4 billion ongoing, starting in July 2025 following successful completion of the regulatory process and consultations with persons with disabilities 

- Enhancing Low- and No-Cost Bank Accounts will benefit low-income and moderate income Canadians by enhancing affordable access to basic banking account services. Additionally, capping Non-Sufficient Funds (NSF) fees at $10 will reduce financial burdens on Canadians who find themselves in an NSF situation, by reducing the financial burden of missing a payment

- Cheaper Internet, Home Phone and Cell Phone Plans - removal of extra switching fees, expected to benefit all Canadians and in particular low income Canadians

6) Housing related items - unlocking 3.87 million net new homes by 2031, to ensure everyone can find an affordable place to call home - 

- new Public Lands for Homes Plan to use all tools available to unlock 250,000 new homes by 2031 on public lands - including Canada Post properties, National Defence land, and office buildings

- $918 million for Indigenous housing and community infrastructure investments, beyond the $5 billion already available for First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples in 2024-25 - $426 million for First Nations on reserve, $62 million for Self-Governing and Modern Treaty First Nations, $370 million for Inuit communities; and, $60 million for Métis communities

- the existing $618.2 million for the Federal Community Housing Initiative

- a $1 billion top-up to the $15 billion Affordable Housing Fund 

- the existing $1.5 billion for the Co-Operative Housing Development Program

- a $400 million top-up to the $4.4 billion Housing Accelerator Fund

- $6 billion over 10 years through a new Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund to accelerating the construction and upgrading of housing-enabling infrastructure 

- $600 million for innovative housing solutions including programs like developing our own Housing Design Catalogue, prefabricated housing, and modular housing

- $1.5 billion Canada Rental Protection Fund which will protect existing rentals and create new affordable rentals 

- Additional $15 billion in new loan funding for the Apartment Construction Loan Program

- Additional $1.3 billion for Reaching Home - Canada's Homelessness Strategy to address homelessness and encampments

- $15 million over five years, starting in 2024-25, for a new Tenant Protection Fund 

to support organizations providing legal and informational services to tenants, as well as tenants’ rights advocacy organizations

- Enhancing the Home Buyers' Plan by increasing the withdrawal limit from $35,000 to $60,000, enabling first-time home buyers to use the tax benefits of an RRSP to save up to $25,000 more for their down payment, faster

- Prioritizing relaxed eligibility conditions for the removal of GST on new student residences for not-for-profit universities, public colleges, and school authorities - plus allowing on- and off-campus student housing projects to access the $55 billion Apartment Construction Loan Program

- Enabling more younger Canadians to afford a mortgage by strengthening the Canadian Mortgage Charter to allow 30-year amortizations for first-time home buyers purchasing newly constructed homes

- Secondary Suite Loan Program - to enable homeowners to access up to $40,000 in low-interest loans to add secondary suites to their homes 

- $1.1 billion over the next three years, beginning in 2024-25, to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, to extend support to asylum claimants through the Interim Housing Assistance Program

7) Justice related items - 

- $87 million to support programming and advance the Indigenous Justice Strategy - to address the overrepresentation of Indigenous people in the justice system and discrimination within the justice system more generally

- Over $467 million for First Nations and Inuit-Led Policing, to address policing needs identified by Indigenous communities, and to help ensure that Indigenous communities receive the policing services that meet their unique needs

- $20 million to help support the search of the Prairie Green Landfill, in partnership with the Government of Manitoba, Indigenous partners, and impacted families, to bring closure to Indigenous families who lost loved ones in Winnipeg

- RCMP launched the Race-Based Data Collection pilot on January 8, 2024, in three sites (Thompson, Manitoba; Whitehorse, Yukon; and Wood Buffalo, Alberta), with two sites in British Columbia and Nova Scotia to follow in spring 2024

- $440 million for legal aid in the criminal justice system and $273.7 million over five years, starting in 2024-25, and $43.5 million ongoing to the Department of Justice for immigration and refugee legal aid services to support access to justice for vulnerable asylum seekers who cannot afford legal services

8) Health related items - 

- First Nations and Inuit Health - $1.1 billion to ensure Indigenous people have fair and equal access to health care, where they feel safe and heard, no matter where they live

- Indigenous Mental Health - over $630 million for improving Indigenous people's access to mental health services, including through distinctions-based mental wellness strategies

- $168 million to Address Anti-Indigenous Racism in Health Care to fulfill Joyce's Principle and combat anti-Indigenous racism in health care, helping to ensure Indigenous Peoples are treated with the respect and safety they deserve. This includes maintaining access to essential, high-quality, and culturally safe services

- $500 million for a new Youth Mental Health Fund

- Through Food Banks Canada, 392 pilot locations for the Menstrual Equity Fund Pilot, reaching 570,000 low-income individuals each month

- National School Foods Program - $1 billion over 5 years, to provide meals to 400,000 more kids every year + help provinces, territories, and Indigenous partners expand their existing school food programs  

- $124 million for northern food security program enhancements, so Nutrition North Canada can continue to make nutritious foods more accessible and affordable in Northern communities, and to support the Inuit Nunangat Food Security Strategy, which prioritizes local food production and community food programs

- $40 million to support Indigenous Peoples' access to traditional foods and help eradicate food insecurity

- Strengthening Local Food Security and Strengthening Access to Culturally Important Foods to help increase the availability and accessibility of nutritious and culturally appropriate food for equity-deserving groups, improving health and well-being

9) Good jobs and meaningful opportunities for everyone - 

- More Skilled Trades Workers Building Homes - Canadian Apprenticeship Strategy to the Skilled Trades Awareness and Readiness (STAR) program

- $351.2 million to create 90,000 youth job placements and summer employment support opportunities through Canada Summer Jobs and the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy

- $207.6 million for the Student Work Placement Program to create more work-integrated learning opportunities for post-secondary students

- $388 million to support Indigenous Economic Opportunity, for Indigenous entrepreneurship, Indigenous tourism, new clean energy opportunities, and a Strategic Partnerships Initiative

- $60 million over 5 years for Futurpreneur Canada, a national not-for-profit organization that provides young entrepreneurs with access to financing, mentorship, and other business supports to help them launch and grow their businesses, to target young entrepreneurs and aspiring business owners aged 18-39, including from various equity-deserving groups, such as entrepreneurs from official language minority communities and rural and remote communities, as well as women, Indigenous Peoples, peoples of colour, and newcomer entrepreneurs

- $200 million over two years, starting in 2026-27 to Invest in Canadian Start-ups, to increase access to venture capital for equity-deserving entrepreneurs, and to invest in underserved communities and outside key metropolitan hubs

- Streamlining recognition of credentials earned abroad in construction sector and creating more apprenticeship opportunities to help skilled trades workers

- Investing for an Accessible, Diverse, Equitable, and Inclusive Federal Public Service

- Funding for the Apprenticeship Service to help create placements with SMEs for apprentices 

10) Education related items - 

- $1.8 billion to support Indigenous communities that are reclaiming jurisdiction over child and family services, ensuring that Indigenous children and youth grow up in their communities, tied to their cultural identities, including $167.5 million to ensure Inuit children can access the health, social, and educational services they need

- $1.2 billion new investment in First Nations K-12 Education and $242.7 million

over three years for First Nations Post-Secondary Education, building on the $487.5 million over ten years invested in Inuit and Métis post-secondary education strategies through Budget 2019

- $290 million to support Indigenous culture and language, investing in Indigenous-led efforts to reclaim, revitalize, and strengthen Indigenous cultures and languages, restoring and promoting language and culture is an important part of healing, reconciliation, and fostering a strong sense of identity and community

- $67.5 million to support after-school learning to help all Canadian students reach their full potential. After-school learning and supports play an important role in helping students succeed in their academic pursuits, especially for at-risk students

- $1.1 billion to extend for an additional year, for the 2024-2025 school year, the increase in full-time Canada Student Grants from $3,000 to $4,200 per year, and interest-free Canada Student Loans from $210 to $300 per week

- $154.6 million over five years to deliver more student aid for rent to approximately 79,000 students, Helping students with the cost of housing by updating formula used by the Canada Student Financial Assistance Program to calculate housing costs when determining financial need  

- $39.2 million for next phase of Coding Skills for Kids, CanCode has reached 4.5 million young people - kindergarten through grade 12 - to develop coding and digital skills, priming kids for success in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics 

11) Economic growth and productivity - 

- $350 million over five year to Indigenous Financial Institutions, including $30 million for Métis Capital Corporations

- As of July 4, 2023, the remaining two amendments of the Public Service Employment Act came into force, which require departments and agencies subject to the Act to evaluate assessment methods used in hiring processes for biases and barriers that disadvantage people belonging to equity-seeking ( and of course deserving ) groups, and to take steps to remove or mitigate these

- On February 21, 2024, the government announced its first initiatives as part of the Action Plan for Black Public Servants, including dedicated programming to support the career development and advancement of Black public servants

- As of February 2024, government investment of nearly $100 million in the Black Entrepreneurship Program Ecosystem Fund (part of the Black Entrepreneurship Program) has supported 43 Black-led not-for-profit organizations to develop new services or expand those already offered, such as mentorship, networking, financial planning, and business training for Black entrepreneurs

- Launch a $5 billion Indigenous Loan Guarantee Program to unlock access to capital for Indigenous communities of any distinction (First Nation, Inuit, Métis), enabling them to share in the benefits of natural resource and energy projects in their territories and on their own terms

- Putting the capital of financial Crown corporations to work more efficiently and ensuring they better address market gaps by taking on more risk, including additional support for new and high-growth businesses, emerging sectors, and under-financed equity-deserving groups.

- The Regional Economic Growth through Innovation program supported a total of 1,016 projects for fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23, undertaken by organizations that are led, owned, or majority-owned by a representative of an underrepresented group

- Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada and the Strategic Partnerships Initiative’s Clean Energy programs will promote the Indigenous tourism industry and help ensure that Indigenous communities are able advance green energy projects

- Financial Sector Statutes Review will benefit underrepresented communities, including women, Indigenous Peoples, peoples of colour, and persons with disabilities, by encouraging diversity amongst executives in these institutions

12) Anti-Hate - 

- $273.6 million over six years, starting in 2024-25, with $29.3 million ongoing, for Canada’s first ever Action Plan on Combatting Hate to support community outreach and law enforcement reform, tackle the rise in hate crimes, enhance community security, counter radicalization, and increase support for victims.  

- In 2023, it was announced that $25 million was allocated to support new projects to Fight Radicalization to Violence - from the Community Resilience Fund. This is in addition to the more than $35 million the Fund has provided to 48 projects since 2017 

- $10 million over three years, starting in 2024-25, to the Department of Canadian Heritage to support the Changing Narratives Fund. This builds on previous funding of $5 million provided in Budget 2022

- $25 million over five years, starting in 2024-25, to the Department of Canadian Heritage to support Anti-Hate programming and promoting intercultural ties and community-based activities

- $5 million over two years, starting in 2024-25, to support the construction of the new Montréal Holocaust Museum

- $12.9 million over six years, starting in 2024-25, with $0.9 million ongoing, to support a Memorandum of Understanding between the Department of Canadian Heritage and Statistics Canada to improve the collection and availability of hate crime data in Canada

- $19.5 million over three years, starting in 2024-25, to Public Safety Canada for the Canada Centre for Community Engagement and Prevention of Violence

- $26.8 million over four years, starting in 2024-25, to Public Safety Canada to support police colleges to increase training on handling hate crimes

- $28 million over six years, starting in 2024-25, to the Department of Justice for the Federal Victims Strategy to provide support to victims following a hate-motivated crime

- $1.5 million over five years, starting in 2024-25, to the Department of Justice for developing and delivering specialized training to Crown prosecutors and to raise awareness in the judiciary about the unique dynamics of hate crime

- $12 million over five years, starting in 2024-25, to Women and Gender Equality Canada to fund projects aimed at combatting hate against the 2SLGBTQI+ community

- $3 million over two years, starting in 2024-25, to Women and Gender Equality Canada to support security needs for Pride festivals

- $20.2 million over six years, starting in 2024-25, and $3.2 million ongoing, to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Canadian Police College to enhance their anti-hate work with the Canadian Race Relations Foundation and policing partners through the Hate Crimes Task Force

- $18 million over six years, starting in 2024-25, and $3 million ongoing, to the Canadian Race Relations Foundation to expand the scope of their work and create a stand-alone Combatting Hate - Community Information Resource Hub. The Hub will bring together, government, law enforcement and professionals to collect hate-crime related data, develop common standards for reporting and defining hate crimes; and provide important hate-crime related training

- $32M over 6 years, starting in 2024-25, and $11 million ongoing, for Public Safety Canada to further enhance the Security Infrastructure Program - making the $11 million per year, started in 2024-25 in Budget 2023, permanent

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michael kerr
Coordinator
Colour of Poverty - Colour of Change
# 505 - 123 Edward St.
Toronto, Ontario  M5G 1E2  Canada
Phone - 416-966-3882
Fax - 416-971-6780
E-mail - kerr.m...@gmail.com

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