MP’s REPORT: March Break Wrap-Up

March 14, 2018 · 0 Comments

By Kyle Peterson, MP
Newmarket-Aurora

I hope everyone is having a great March break with their families. I always appreciate any time I get to spend here locally with my family.
The past few weeks have also been exciting here in town. Aurora’s Arctic Adventure was a wonderful event for local families held on Family Day at the Town Park. Thank you to Town staff and volunteers for putting on a great event for families to enjoy! Great job as always, no matter what the weather does!
It was also great to see so many people at the Aurora Winter Blues Festival at St. Andrew’s College on February 23. It was a fun-filled evening of excellent music, great performances by talented artists, and it was great to see so many people supporting our music scene here in Aurora.
Thank you to all the volunteers, organizers and performers for making this year’s festival a success. Congratulations! I am looking forward to next year’s event.
It was great to see that the Aurora Town Council and the Aurora Chamber of Commerce bowling teams rocked the lanes at the Big Brothers Big Sisters of York Region Bowl for Kids’ Sake on Saturday March 3 at Stellar Lanes. All funds raised will support mentorship programs for youth. Thanks for your participation and support!
On February 27, Finance Minister Bill Morneau introduced Budget 2018, the next step in our government’s plan to strengthen the middle class and provide all Canadians with the opportunity for success. Making sure every Canadian has an equal and fair chance at success is not just the right thing to do, it’s the smart thing to do economically.
Budget 2018’s strong focus on growth, progress, reconciliation, advancement and equality ensures that we are taking the next steps towards building a more inclusive, competitive, sustainable and fair Canada. There are many new measures in the budget that will directly impact our community.
A new Canada Workers Benefit (CWB) will provide more support to low-income workers by increasing maximum benefit levels and ensuring those who qualify for the benefit will have it automatically applied.
We are introducing a new Employment Insurance Parental Sharing Benefit which will provide greater flexibility to parents by providing an additional five weeks of parental benefits when both parents agree to share leave. This benefit will be available to all eligible two-parent families, including adoptive and same-sex couples.
We are also starting an important dialogue on pharmacare through an Advisory Council on the Implementation of National Pharmacare. This body will consult with Canadians, industry and stakeholders to start the conversation and provide options on how to move forwards to increase the affordability and accessibility of prescription drugs.
We are further enhancing our support of our veterans through a Pension for Life which will include three new benefits to provide recognition, income-support and stability to Canada’s veterans who experience a service-related injury or illness.
On March 8, MP Alleslev and I were honoured to welcome Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to the Stronach Aurora Recreation Centre to announce the changes we are making to the CCB. After visiting with children and families skating on the ice at the Stronach Aurora Recreation Complex, the Prime Minister shared with those in attendance just how important the CCB is to families in our community.
Through a more generous Canada Child Benefit, the average Canadian family will receive approximately $200 more this year, and up to $500 more in 2019. In Newmarket-Aurora, the CCB has benefited 13,050 families with an average annual payout of $5,490, tax-free. With our adjustments, more families will receive more support, tax-free to more easily afford extracurricular activities and other costs for their kids.
As a reminder, you can reach out to my office and my staff at any time. Please do not hesitate to contact us should you need any information or assistance with any Federal Matters. We are located at 16600 Bayview Avenue, Suite 202. You can reach us at Tel: 905-953-7515 or by email at Kyle.Peterson@parl.gc.ca.