Larry O’Brien

We welcome the news today about additional infrastructure spending. This will not only provide a economic stimulus, but will have a lasting effect on our city as we struggle to address the infrastructure gap.

We are ready to move forward quickly with our priority projects to start building a better city and creating new jobs in these tough economic times.

I am very pleased to see a commitment to reduce personal income tax by $20 billion. Getting more money in the hands of consumers will stimulate our local economy and reducing the tax burden will help those who are facing financial hardship.

Reducing corporate taxes will allow employers in the City of Ottawa to focus on recovery plans and free up some needed capital to restructure as they weather the economic storm.

Our long-term recovery will come from the private sector so the combination of more money in people’s pockets and a lower tax burden on employers will help speed up that recovery.

New money for  social housing will ensure that those who need the most help have clean and safe homes. The City of Ottawa is ready to move forward on important investments to expand and repair our social housing and we welcome the added financial assistance contained in today’s budget.

Homeowners should get ready to benefit from the Home Renovation Tax Credit that will provide up to $1,350 in tax relief for home renovations between Jan. 27, 2009, and Feb. 1, 2010. It’s like an individual stimulus program and will help many residents improve energy efficiency or make other nessessary repairs.

I was also pleased to see $407 million in new investments into VIA rail to improve connections between communities including those towns and cities that neighbour Ottawa.

The specifics will come in the days ahead, but Ottawa is ready to work with the federal government to get work started right away and create and protect jobs in our community.