Question Period Note: Budget 2023

How is this government investing in coastal communities through this Budget?

• Canada is home to the longest coastline in the world spanning three oceans. Canada’s marine economy supports Indigenous, rural and coastal communities from coast to coast to coast.
• Climate change is a major threat to ecosystems and communities along every coast, and coastal communities need support to mitigate and adapt to changing ecological and economic conditions.
• That’s why this Government has unveiled critical investments in the new Budget to conserve and protect our oceans. Our Government is investing $333 million to continue to protect fish and fish habitats, restore the populations of Species at Risk, and reach our marine conservation targets as highlighted at Canadian-led international summits such as COP15 and IMPAC5.
• Our Government is also investing $222 million in the Canadian Coast Guard, a lifeline for many remote coastal communities, to make sure that they have the necessary infrastructure, equipment, staff and training to operate the next generation of the Coast Guard fleet

• Budget 2023 was tabled in the House of Commons on March 28, 2023.
• The budget included funding for Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), such as:
• Priority proposals:
• $151.9 million over three years on a cash basis, starting in 2023-24, to DFO, Transport Canada (TC), Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) and Parks Canada to continue to protect endangered whales and their habitats; and,
• $119.6 million over five years, starting in 2023–24, with $102.1 million in remaining amortization and $17.4 million ongoing, to reinforce the integrity of its helicopter fleet and ensure the Canadian Coast Guard has the necessary infrastructure and support to hire and train the staff to operate its future marine vessel fleet. Of this amount, $27.8 million over five years and $4.3 million ongoing would be sourced from existing departmental resources. On a cash basis, the funding for the Canadian Coast Guard is $221.7 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, and $17.4 million ongoing.
• Program renewals:
• $135 million over two years for the Fish and Fish Habitat Protection Program;
• $184 million over three years to continue the Species at Risk Program is going to DFO, ECCC, Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), and Parks Canada;
• $14 million next year to continue work on Marine Spatial Planning, is going to DFO, ECCC and TC; and,
• $5 million next year to continue the Fisheries and Aquaculture Clean Technology Adoption Program.
• Horizontal initiatives:
• $113 million over seven years is going to NRCan’s initiative to conduct seafloor mapping in support of Canada's submission to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which DFO is supporting; and,
• $53 million next year is going to support the Privy Council Office's initiative to strengthen accountability and transparency for National Security Review bodies, which DFO is supporting.

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