2017 Federal Budget: Response

Transcription

1 April Federal Budget: Response BILL SCHAPER, BRITTANY FRITSCH & BERNADETTE JOHNSON

2 2017 Federal Budget: Response Bill Schaper, Brittany Fritsch, Bernadette Johnson Published by Imagine Canada 65 St. Clair Avenue East, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4T 2Y3 T F W imaginecanada.ca Copyright 2017 Imagine Canada Copy editors: Marnie Grona, Natalie Rekai Design and production: Natalie Rekai French translation: Cornelia Schrecker, Jean-Rémy Emorine All rights reserved. The content of this publication may be reproduced, in whole or in part, by charitable and nonprofit organizations for non-commercial use and where Imagine Canada is acknowledged as the original publisher including year of publication, publication title, and original document source (electronic publication link or website link). Otherwise, no part of this report may be reproduced without prior written agreement from Imagine Canada

3 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Context Economic growth Budget 2017: A lost opportunity for the sector 4 2. Cross-sectoral measures Charities as employers Communities at risk Social Innovation Data 8 3. Employment Youth employment Education and Skills Acquisition Attracting global talent Innovation and Infrastructure Spending Research Social Infrastructure Childcare Affordable housing Culture, recreation and sport Environment, climate change, and conservation Health Mental Health Caregiving and home care Persons with disabilities Veterans Other measures International assistance and refugees Violence against women and girls

4 CONTEXT Charities and nonprofits are a significant contributor to the federal budgetary process. They provide important recommendations to the government that impact many areas of Canadian life. In fact, by our count, 104 charities and 82 nonprofits made 2017 pre-budget submissions to the Commons Finance Committee. This is more than double the number doing so five years ago, and our sector accounts for a significant and growing proportion of the input the Committee receives. Working sometimes on their own, sometimes in broader coalitions, the ideas that charities and nonprofits put forward have had an impact. In our analysis of Budget 2017, we draw a link between the pre-budget recommendations and advocacy carried out by sector organizations and the announcements made by the government. Economic growth Our sector is greatly affected by the broader overall economy. Donations tend to be a somewhat constant percentage of GDP so when overall growth is high, donations also rise. In times of growth, governments at all levels have more to invest in the programs and services we provide. Even though most of the public funding that comes into the sector is at the provincial or municipal level, those budgets are affected by federal transfers. Federal budgets are felt throughout the economy, even for those of us who don t benefit from federal funding. Our Chief Economist projects that demand for the broad range of services charities and nonprofits provide will continue to grow more quickly than the economy, leading to a social deficit (that is, the mismatch of needs and revenue as organizations struggle to fulfill their missions while economic growth slows). So, on a macro level, there are some positive elements for charities and nonprofits if the government s growth agenda is successful

5 Long term financial sustainability for the charitable and nonprofit sector can only be achieved in the context of an economy that continues to grow over time. The charitable and nonprofit sector stands to benefit to the extent that the government s ongoing efforts to stimulate the economy through investment in infrastructure and innovation are successful. The ripple effects of such investment are felt at the community level and by organizations. Inclusive growth measures, which ensure underrepresented groups benefit from economic growth, also stand to benefit the sector and make it easier for us to achieve our missions. The budget contains measures to ensure that underrepresented populations, such as women, youth, and indigenous populations, find it easier to access innovation and infrastructure programs. While this isn t the first budget since the report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the impact of that report is apparent; throughout the budget, investments in Indigenous people and communities are linked to recommendations made by the TRC. The budget s gender statement (a first for Canadian budgets), also attempts to ensure that the gendered impacts, as well as other intersecting identity factors, of policy decisions are recognized and tracked over time. Budget 2017: A lost opportunity for the sector In many ways, Budget 2017 represents a lost opportunity for the charitable and nonprofit sector. While there will be opportunities for charities and nonprofits to access some of the innovation, infrastructure, and skills plans proposed by the government, as a whole, the budget lacks any real consideration of the sector as an engine of economic growth and innovation. Social goals are largely subsumed within the framework of economic growth. The notion of social infrastructure, which many in the sector see themselves as being, has so far been largely limited to childcare and affordable housing; these are worthy areas for federal attention, but this apparent narrowing of the government s focus is worth keeping an eye on. We had hoped that Budget 2017 would take steps to advance the government s commitment to a new and modern legal and regulatory framework for charities and nonprofits, as recommended by YMCA Canada, Philanthropic Foundations - 4 -

6 Canada, Imagine Canada, United Way Canada, and the Calgary Chamber of Voluntary Organizations. But it was silent on this issue. Indeed, the only budget measure affecting the sector more broadly was confirmation that the First-Time Donor s Super Credit will not be renewed beyond The Department of Finance estimates that the Super Credit will have generated $84 million in new donations over a five-year period. Proportionate to sector revenues or even to the total of all donations this is unlikely to have a great effect. But it sends a disturbing message, and one that seems at odds with the ambitious agenda that the government itself laid out for the sector. We are an important sector that creates jobs and contributes to growth, but once again there is no mention of the role we play in the economy. Similarly, there is no recognition of or commitment to the role we play in productivity, infrastructure, and innovation. Charities and nonprofits are players within the innovation and infrastructure agenda, potentially able to apply to programs or innovation funds. However, the health of the sector and the contributions it makes to Canada are largely ignored. Although this may be unsurprising, it s a signal to the sector worth noting. Charities should consider this framing, as they advocate for their causes with the federal government. This is not to say that social, environmental, cultural, or other policy ideas can t succeed on their own merit, but that the chances of success are greater if links to the government s broader economic agenda can be demonstrated. At the end of the day charities and nonprofits are left in much the same position they were before the budget with demands driven by demographic and cultural factors that will continue to increase faster than the economy, with an outdated and dysfunctional set of relationships with government which prevents us from doing our job, and with our contributions to the jobs and growth and innovation unrecognized in policy and program development. While economic growth will help the sector, the government needs to come to grip with the looming social deficit. For example, transfers to the provinces, particularly for health care, will not grow as fast as costs. The resulting squeeze on provincial budgets likely means less funding for organizations, but higher expectations for them to provide - 5 -

7 services. So far, the federal government has not considered the broader impact of its economic policies on charities and nonprofits. This is something we all need to work together to change. That being said, Budget 2017 does contain a broad range of proposals and commitments that will be of great interest to individual organizations and the communities they serve. Despite the lack of overarching attention to our sector, charities and nonprofits have been actively engaged in Canada s policy development and federal budgetary process. The following analysis is split into thematic sections, identifying areas of relevance to the sector as well as areas where charities and nonprofits were active in advocacy. Because our analysis is based on public submissions to the Commons Finance Committee, and not the many other avenues available to influence the government, we no doubt understate the effect that charities and nonprofits have had. Where appropriate, we have linked to the page numbers in the PDF version of the Budget Plan so that you can easily look up relevant measures for more detail

8 CROSS-SECTORAL MEASURES Charities as employers Budget 2017 contains a few measures that will affect charities and nonprofits in their roles as employers. These include proposing to extend Employment Insurance parental benefits up to 18 months at a lower benefit rate of 33 per cent of average weekly earnings (p. 63) as well as allowing women to claim maternity benefits up to 12 weeks before their due date (expanded from the current standard of 8 weeks) if they so choose (p. 63). The budget also proposes to amend the Canada Labour Code to give federally regulated workers the right to request flexible work arrangements from their employer, such as flexible start and finish times and the ability to work from home (p. 64). Communities at risk This budget also proposes an investment of $5.0 million over five years toward the Communities at Risk: Security Infrastructure Program, which would fund nonprofits capacity to make security infrastructure improvements, including outdoor lighting or security cameras (p. 191). This measure is intended to protect organizations that may be targeted for hate-motivated crimes. Social Innovation Budget 2017 contains very few measures to facilitate social innovation. Rather, nonprofits and social enterprises are mentioned as potential participants in the government s innovation and infrastructure programs. For example, there is a proposal to provide up to $50 million to launch a new procurement program, Innovative Solutions Canada, to stimulate innovation and entrepreneurship (p. 86). There are no specific measures to promote social procurement, a recommendation made by the Social Enterprise Council of Canada, CCEDnet, and Supporting Employment & Economic Development Winnipeg. However, the sector may find fertile advocacy ground for social procurement through the government s - 7 -

9 intention to encourage procurement from companies led by women and other underrepresented groups in order to encourage inclusive growth. Budget 2017 does propose to invest $10 million over two years in the Community and College Social Innovation Fund, which works to foster positive social outcomes through community-college partnerships (p. 90). The Fédération des cégeps had requested the government expand investment in the Community and College Social Innovation Fund. Data Budget 2017 contains a number of measures to improve data collection to support its innovation and infrastructure agendas in areas such as infrastructure (p. 117), housing (p. 30 & 117), health (p. 158), tourism (p. 91), transportation (p. 117), digital and clean technologies (p.73 & 100), and climate change (p. 129). The budget also proposes $2 million to establish a Chief Science Advisor and related secretariat to provide advice on how to ensure that government science is open to the public and communicated freely across government (p. 88). While these data initiatives are surely important to evidence based policy making, the sector s asks relating to data were significant and largely neglected. The Canadian Association for Gift Planners, Calgary Chamber of Voluntary Organizations, Philanthropic Foundations of Canada, and Imagine Canada all recommended that the government reinstate the collection of key data on the charitable and nonprofit sector by Statistics Canada that would enable better policy-making on the regulation and capacity-building of the sector in Canada. University of Ontario Institute of Technology requested resources for Statistics Canada to collect, analyze, and disseminate labour market information. Canadian Parks and Recreation Association, Canadian Recreation Facilities Council, and Sports Matters requested funding towards creating a national and comprehensive inventory of sport and recreation facilities, which may partially be addressed through the government s commitment to examine the state of municipal and provincial infrastructure. Engineers without Borders made recommendations related to open government and open data. Likewise, ONE Campaign recommended that the government - 8 -

10 invest in the national statistical system and open data that is gender disaggregated as well as data that measures girls learning outcomes. Colleges and Institutes Canada and Atlantic Provinces Community College Consortium requested more data on public colleges and institutes, while the U15 Group of Canadian Research Universities recommended establishing mechanisms on innovation clusters. The Canadian Association of Research Libraries requested investment to manage and enable access to research data and support national digital infrastructure. Many sector organizations requested investment in health research. Parkinson Canada requested more funds to better track data about Parkinson s disease. The Canadian Cancer Society recommended that the government commit to consistent, secure, long-term investments in health research generally, and cancer research in particular. The Canadian Mental Health Association and the Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health both made recommendations relating to the Canadian Institutes for Health Information s (CIHI) role in data collection on mental health. CIHI did receive a new funds in Budget 2017, which may partially address these recommendations

11 EMPLOYMENT Youth employment Budget 2017 expands on the government s commitment to the Youth Employment Strategy to the tune of an additional $395.5 million over three years, starting in (p. 59). While the details of this spending are yet to be identified, a number of organizations called for increased support for youth employment policy and programming in their submissions, including Boys and Girls Clubs Canada and YMCA Canada. One program that was identified, however, was the Aboriginal Skills and Employment Training Strategy (ASETS), which helps Indigenous Peoples with job skills and training. The government proposes to top up investments in this program to the tune of $50 million for this year (p. 66). While their recommendations were not wholly satisfied, the Assembly of First Nations and the Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres had recommended expansion of this program. $39.2 million is also allocated for this year to provide pre-employment skills training case management services for youth living on reserve (p. 66). Education and Skills Acquisition Mitacs was one of the few nonprofit or charitable organizations that were identified in the budget as receiving direct funds. This year they will receive $221 million in support for their goal of providing 10,000 work-integrated learning placements for Canadian post-secondary students and graduates each year, a considerable jump from their current level of around 3,750 placements annually (p.60). Likewise, the budget committed to providing the charitable organization Pathways to Education Canada with $38 million over four years to support vulnerable youth s success in school with career mentoring and financial assistance (p. 61). In terms of education tax exemptions, it includes a proposal to expand the range

12 of courses eligible for the Tuition Tax Credit to include occupational skills courses that are undertaken at a post-secondary institutions (p. 206). Budget 2017 contains measures to improve support for education and training for Indigenous people living both on- and off-reserve. It proposes $14.7 million over three years starting in to extend and enhance the Northern Adult Basic Education Program (p. 66), which provides residents in the three territories with targeted training so that they can participate more fully in the labour market. Indspire received some of the financial support they had requested in their submission for bursaries and scholarships, for approximately 12,000 First Nations, Inuit and Métis students (p. 65). In line with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission recommendations, a number of organizations called for investments in Indigenous students support and success. The budget responded by proposing to increase funding to the Post- Secondary Student Support Program by $90 million over two years, support the post-secondary education financial needs of approximately 4,600 students (p. 65). These organizations were: The University of Manitoba, University of Calgary, Université de Montréal, Universities Canada, Pathways to Education, Colleges and Institutes Canada, the Canadian Association for Graduate Studies, the Canadian Federation of Students, the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations, and the Atlantic Provinces Community College Consortium, and the Canadian Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences. In recognition that automation is causing some jobs to disappear, Budget 2017 contains measures to improve the digital literacy and skills of Canadians, with particular emphasis on underrepresented groups. It proposes $29.5 million over the next five years for a new Digital Literacy Exchange program to support nonprofit organizations to implement initiatives that teach basic digital skills, including how to use the Internet safely and effectively, at pre-existing facilities such as public libraries, refugee housing complexes and seniors homes (p. 72). It also proposes to provide $50 million over two years for organizations that provide coding and digital skills education to youth ( p. 72) and $10.8 million over five years to PromoScience to support more STEM learning activities for Canadian youth (p. 74)

13 Ladies Learning Code requested $3 Million over three years to expand their existing programming and inspire the next generation of technologists. Canada s National Youth STEM Organizations, which consist of Actua, Canadian Association of Science Centres, FIRST Robotics Canada, Let s Talk Science, Partners in Research, SHAD, and Youth Science Canada, had recommended $5 million over 5-years for a National Youth STEM development system. Attracting global talent A key focus of the government s innovation strategy is focused on how to attract key talent through the Global Skills Strategy. In fact, Budget 2017 approaches new investments in immigration and refugees largely from the frame of their incorporation into Canada s job market. The budget proposes to amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act to ensure that the Express Entry system is responsive to the needs of the Canadian labour market (p. 67). It also proposes to reallocate $27.5 million over five years to support a Targeted Employment Strategy for Newcomers (p. 71). The University of Toronto, the University of Waterloo, Queen s University, and the U15 Group of Canadian Research Universities all recommended the government develop and invest in immigration policies that would facilitate talent flow to Canada and support innovation. Supporting Employment and Economic Development Winnipeg (SEED) recommended the government improve foreign credential recognition programs as well as immigration loan programs and transportation loans

14 INNOVATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE SPENDING Budget 2017 contains a suite of programs and funds to stimulate innovation and infrastructure in six key areas including, manufacturing, agri-food, clean technology, digital industries, health/bio-sciences and clean resources. Nonprofits and social enterprises are viewed as facilitators of innovation and may be able to access some of the new programs that were announced. The government also proposes to establish Innovation Canada, a new platform led by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada that will coordinate and simplify the support available to Canada s innovators (p. 77) and has committed to review all existing innovation programs. While no new money was announced, it proposes to invest $950 million over five years, on a competitive basis, in support of innovation superclusters. The Association of University Research Parks Canada, Ontario College of Art and Design University, the University of Toronto, the University of British Columbia, Université de Montréal, the U15 Group of Canadian Research Universities, and Queen s University all made recommendations relating to the support and investment in research clusters. Budget 2017 proposes to create the Impact Canada Fund which will focus on clean technology (with $75 million over two years) and Smart Cities (with $300 million over 11 years). The Smart Cities Challenge Fund is intended to encourage cities to adopt new and innovative approaches to city building (p. 118). Civil society is mentioned as one of the stakeholders, along with local government, citizens, and businesses, who are invited to apply to the fund. Of the second phase of green and social infrastructure funding, here the government proposes to invest an $4 billion over 10 years, starting in , to build and improve housing, water treatment systems, health facilities and other community infrastructure within Indigenous communities across Canada (p. 146)

15 Budget 2017 also proposes to provide Futurpreneur Canada with $14 million over two years, starting in , to continue supporting the young entrepreneurs (p. 85). Shaw Rocket fund had requested $10 million over five years in support of the creation of an online entrepreneurship fund for youth, dedicated to helping Canadians 18 years of age and under become future innovators to spur economic growth. Research Unlike past budgets of recent years, this one contains little new investment in Canada s research councils. Several organizations, mostly universities and student associations, requested financial support to the Tri-Council agencies to expand their base budgets to return Canada to a globally competitive position for higher education, R&D investments. The budget does propose to renew the National Research Council funding of $59.6 million in , to support the Council s business innovation initiatives (p. 89). There is proposed investment of $117.6 million over eight years to create 25 Canada 150 Research Chairs (in celebration of Canada s 150th anniversary), funded with resources within the existing Canada Excellence Research Chairs program, to attract top international research talent (p. 68). York University recommended the government reinforce the Canada Research Chairs program with updated levels of support and by increasing the number of Chairs available. The Stem Cell Network receives renewed funding of $6 million starting next year (p. 90) and the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research is offered $35 million over five years. The Canadian Institute for Advanced Research advocated for the government to support global collaboration, young researchers, problem-based research, and research excellence

16 SOCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE Childcare The budget allocates an additional $7 billion over 10 years to support the creation of more affordable child care. A portion of this investment will be dedicated to early learning and child care programs for Indigenous children living on- and offreserve. The budget also repeals the 25-per-cent Investment Tax Credit for Child Care Spaces due to low take-up (p. 207). Campaign 2000 had recommended that the government commit to a longterm sustained approach to federal funding to support provinces/territories that have created childcare plans and have begun moving toward universal, high quality, comprehensive early childhood education and care (ECEC) systems. Other organizations that recommended similar initiatives include the Child Care Advocacy Association of Canada (which also recommended initiatives specific to Indigenous communities), the Childcare Resource and Research Unit, and Vibrant Communities Calgary. Affordable housing As part of their fulfillment of a National Housing Strategy, the budget proposes to invest more than $11.2 billion over 11 years in a variety of initiatives designed to build, renew and repair affordable housing, and to make affordable housing more accessible (p ). A National Housing Fund will be administered through the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, and will address critical housing issues and prioritize support for vulnerable citizens, including: seniors; Indigenous Peoples; survivors fleeing situations of domestic violence; persons with disabilities; those dealing with mental health and addiction issues; and veterans (p. 134). Campaign 2000, Réseau d'aide aux personnes seules et itinérantes de Montréal (RAPSIM), Housing Partnership Canada, Citizens for Public Justice, Habitat for

17 Humanity Canada, and SEED Winnipeg all recommended commitments to social or affordable housing. In alignment with Habitat for Humanity Canada s recommendation, $202 million will be offered over the next 11 years to make surplus federal lands and buildings available to housing providers at low or no cost for the development of affordable housing (p. 136). There is an allocation of $300 million over the next 11 years to provide targeted support for northern housing, as well as an investment of $225 million over that time period for housing providers offering support to Indigenous Peoples offreserve (p. 135). The Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres had recommended that any federal housing initiatives include supports for Indigenous housing in urban centres. With respect to homelessness, the Réseau d'aide aux personnes seules et itinérantes de Montréal (RAPSIM) had recommended the renewal of the Homelessness Partnering Strategy, which will receive $2.1 billion over the next 11 years for expansion (p. 136). It is worth noting though, that Budget 2017 contains no new measures, other than housing measures, relating to its National Poverty Reduction Strategy that was announced last year. Culture, recreation and sport As part of the second phase of social infrastructure spending, the Cultural Spaces Fund will receive further investment of $1.8 billion over 10 years. Canadian Arts Coalition, Canadian Arts Presenting Association, Canadian Dance Assembly, Arts Build, Professional Association of Canadian Theatres all requested support and expansion of this Fund, along with other supports for arts and culture sector. Budget 2017 proposes to increase annual investment to the Athlete Assistance Program by 18 per cent (to $33 million) to help high performance athletes with costs associated with training, tuition, living expenses, and special needs assistance (p. 161). As one of its recommendations, Sport Matters recommended an increase of 24% in the monthly support provided to both able-bodied athletes and athletes with a disability, which would increase the AAP budget from $28 million to $34.72 million

18 ENVIRONMENT, CLIMATE CHANGE & CONSERVATION The budget s environmental initiatives are contained within the frame of a clean growth economy. It lays out a plan to invest $21.9 billion in green infrastructure, including initiatives that will support the implementation of the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change. (p. 121). The provinces and territories will receive $9.2 billion over the next 11 years to support priority projects, including those that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, deliver clean water, safely manage wastewater, help communities prepare for challenges that result from climate change, and help build cleaner, better-connected electricity systems (p. 122). An additional $2.8 billion will be invested over the next 11 years through a series of national programs that focus facilitating the growth of clean energy and technology industries (p. 122). The majority of those funds ($2 billion), however, will go to a Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund to support national, provincial and municipal infrastructure required to deal with the effects of a changing climate. The Canadian Red Cross requested $70 million over 5 years for community-based disaster preparedness The Low Carbon Partnership, a coalition of organizations including, Sustainability co-lab, the Natural Step Canada, Quest, Climate Smart Business, recommended that the government create a fund that provides significant financial support to positively engage Canadian businesses in the transition to a low carbon economy. The Community Energy Planning Initiative: Getting to Implementation in Canada, a national collaborative initiative between QUEST, Community Energy Association, and Sustainable Prosperity, requested $5 million over 3 years towards implementing Community Energy Planning. Budget 2017 includes some supports that would facilitate Community Energy Planning, such as collecting new data on municipal infrastructure, but don t target it directly. There is a proposal to establish a new Canadian Centre for Climate Services to improve access to climate science and regional climate resilience centres and

19 a proposal to provide Health Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research with $47.0 million over five years to implement a national action plan to respond to health risks caused by climate change (p. 129). The government will also implement a climate change and health adaptation program for First Nations and Inuit communities (p. 129) and will provide Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada with $83.8 million over five years, to Integrate traditional Indigenous knowledge to build a better understanding of climate change and to guide adaptation measures; enhance Indigenous community resilience through infrastructure planning and emergency management in those communities where flooding risks are increasing; and enhance resilience in northern communities by improving the design and construction of northern infrastructure. (p. 129) Among Save the Children Canada s many recommendations, was a to ensure climate investment prioritizes flows to local communities for climate adaption and resilience

20 HEALTH Budget 2017 provides the provinces and territories $37.1 billion through the Canada Health Transfer, committing to grow it in line with a three-year moving average of nominal gross domestic product growth or at least 3 per cent per year (p. 155). HealthCareCan recommended improvements to the Canada Health Transfer including a $1.6 billion increase as a "demographic top-up, $1 billion per year for a health innovation fund and $100 million per year for a performance program for provinces/territories that exceed targets. The government proposes to invest $140.3 million over five years, starting in , with $18.2 million per year ongoing, for Health Canada, the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board and the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health to improve access to prescription medications (p. 158). Many sector organizations advocated for a national pharmacare strategy or supports to improve equitable access to prescription drugs including, Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights, the Saskatchewan Seniors Mechanism, Schizophrenia Society of Ontario, the Canadian Cancer Society, and the Health Charities Coalition of Canada Budget 2017 also proposes $300 million over five years to Canada Health Infoway to expand e-prescribing and virtual care initiatives, support the continued adoption and use of electronic medical records, help patients to access their own health records electronically, and better link electronic health record systems to improve access by all providers and institutions (p. 158). Canada Health Infoway had actually requested $110 million over five years to complete the launch of a multi-jurisdiction e-prescribing solution, and $110 million over three years to continue to scale and spread virtual care digital solutions. A proposed $35 million over five years, for a total of $100 million over five years for Health Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research is made to support the Canada Drugs and Substances Strategy that was announced in December (p. 159)

21 The budget provides $53.0 million over five years, with $15.0 million per year ongoing, for the Canadian Institute for Health Information to address health data gaps (p. 158). It also proposes to invest $51 million over three years starting in with $17 million per year ongoing, to the Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement to accelerate health innovations in all provinces and territories (p. 158). Both the Health Action Lobby and HealthCareCan made recommendations relating to health innovation. Mental Health In addition to the funding provided through the Health Transfer, Budget 2017 proposes to provide the provinces and territories with $5 billion over 10 years to support mental health initiatives (p. 156), although details on that investment are scarce. There is also a proposal to invest $57.8 million over five years to expand mental health care capacity for all inmates in federal correctional facilities (p. 188). Mental health initiatives made into the pre-budget submissions of many sector organizations including the Schizophrenia Society of Ontario, The Canadian Council for Refugees, the Mood Disorders Society of Canada, the Assembly of First Nations, the Canadian Association of Social Workers, the Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health, the Canadian Mental Health Association recommended and the Mental Health Commission of Canada. Caregiving and home care Budget 2017 proposes measures that support caregiving and home care. These include $6 billion over 10 years to the provinces and territories, again in addition to the Health Transfer, for home care (p. 156), the creation of a new employment insurance caregiving benefit of up to 15 weeks (p. 63), and a new Canada Caregiver Credit, which replaces the Infirm Dependent Credit, Caregiver Credit, and Family Caregiver Tax Credit (p. 204). The Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada had advocated for increased caregiver tax benefits as well as an increase in investment in comprehensive home care for people with long-term chronic health conditions. The Saskatchewan Seniors Mechanism recommended that the Federal Government, in cooperation with the provinces, implement a comprehensive national Home Care program

22 Persons with disabilities The budget provides $77 million over 10 years to expand the activities of the Enabling Accessibility Fund. Eligible projects will include constructing and renovating infrastructure (e.g., adding ramps, automatic door openers and accessible washrooms), providing accessible information and communication technologies and retrofitting vehicles (p. 143). There is also a proposal to establish a new Accessible Technology Development program to develop new assistive technologies and devices ( p. 72). Both the Council of Canadians with Disabilities and the Rick Hansen Foundation made recommendations regarding accessibility infrastructure. Veterans There is a commitment to re-establish lifelong pensions as an option for injured veterans, providing the option for injured veterans to receive their Disability Award through a monthly payment for life (p. 175). Legislation will also be amended and investments made to create the Caregiver Recognition Benefit for veterans, which is distinct from the Canada Caregiver Credit which is available to all Canadians (p. 177). A Centre of Excellence on PTSD and related mental health conditions will be created to share knowledge on prevention, assessment and treatment of mental health disorders for veterans and armed forces members. Only one organization, the United Way of Ottawa requested support for veterans this year through the submission process

23 OTHER MEASURES International assistance and refugees There were widely anticipated gaps in this budget between the recommendations made by international development and advocacy organizations, and what the government was prepared to commit, particularly in terms of overseas international assistance spending. Canadian Network for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health, Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights, Canadian Council for International Co-operation, Engineers Without Borders Canada, Canadian International Development Platform, ONE Campaign, World Vision Canada, Canadian Council for Career Development all asked for funding increases to one or both of the International Assistance Envelope (IAE) or Canada s Overseas Development Assistance (ODA). The budget did commit to provide $650 million in funding to address gaps in sexual and reproductive health and rights in the world s poorest and most vulnerable communities, a doubling of the country s commitment (p. 182). Many of the international development and assistance organizations who submitted this year requested attention in this particular area. Investments are also made toward immigration and refugee legal aid services, in partnership with the provinces and territories (p. 184). Violence against women and girls The government commits to invest $100.9 million over five years to establish a National Strategy to Address Gender-Based Violence. The Strategy includes the creation of a centre of excellence within Status of Women Canada to inform allocation of resources (p. 188). Organizations had not made recommendations toward this aim during this consultation process, though ONE Campaign did put forward asks related to policy to combat gender-based violence