This is what the Liberals have promised will be in the federal budget

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OTTAWA – Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland will present the federal budget on Tuesday after a cross-country tour that previewed many of the housing and affordability measures that will be included in the document.

This is what the federal Liberals have already promised.

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House plan

On Friday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his government’s plan to address the housing crisis, pledging to build nearly 3.9 million homes by 2031.

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The plan builds on a series of announcements made in recent weeks and since the fall, promising billions of dollars in low-cost loans, infrastructure spending and support for the homeless.

Ottawa promises:

— increase the capital cost allowance rate for apartments from four to 10 percent, which will increase the amount builders can write off from their taxes;

— Extend the mortgage repayment period to 30 years for first-time homebuyers purchasing new construction;

— Make more public land available for housing construction while leasing land to developers instead of selling it.

National defense spending

The Liberal government plans to increase military spending to 1.76 percent of GDP by 2030.

That includes setting aside another $8.1 billion over the next five years and spending $73 billion by 2044.

Artificial intelligence

Ottawa is setting aside $2.4 billion in the upcoming budget to build capacity in artificial intelligence.

Most of that amount ($2 billion) will go to a fund whose goal will be to provide access to computing capabilities and technical infrastructure.

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school feeding program

Ottawa will propose $1 billion over five years to establish a national school feeding program, with the goal of delivering meals to 400,000 more children.

Youth Mental Health Fund

The Liberal government has committed to creating a $500 million fund to help community health organizations provide more mental health care to young people.

During the 2021 election campaign, the Liberals promised a similar fund for post-secondary institutions to help with student mental health.

Daycare Loans

The Liberal government plans to provide more than $1 billion in low-cost loans, grants and student loan forgiveness to expand child care across Canada.

Firefighter Tax Credit

The federal budget will propose doubling the Volunteer Firefighters Tax Credit and the Volunteer Search and Rescue Credit.

The federal government says the tax credit will increase from $3,000 to $6,000 and will save volunteer firefighters up to $900 per year.

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