The federal budget, released Thursday afternoon, isn’t getting a passing grade from Souris Moose Mountain MP Dr. Robert Kitchen. In a post on social media Friday morning, the Conservative MP pointed out a number of ways he feels the budget fails the residents of his riding.  

“As the cost-of-living skyrockets, and people find it increasingly difficult to make ends meet, the government has done nothing to provide relief for the many Canadians that are struggling currently,” Kitchen said.  

In his post, he pointed to two specific sectors that are key economic players in his riding – the agriculture sector and the energy sector. 

“When it comes to farmers, the very people who work day in and day out to feed our country, the Liberals have ignored their needs once again, with no funding to support this vital industry,” Kitchen stated. 

When it comes to the energy sector, Kitchen noted how the federal government is continuing to move towards the phase-out of coal-fired power generation, which, without a transition process for those in the sector, will impact thousands.  

The federal budget released Thursday carries a deficit of $53 billion while adding roughly $31 billion in new spending. Part of the spending includes $10 billion to help with the housing situation in the country, as well as $2.6 billion to be used as a tax incentive in the oil and gas sector for companies that work with carbon capture, utilization and storage.