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Our outlook on federal budget is pretty bleak: Angus Reid

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VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – A new poll shows many of us here in BC are dreading the federal budget tomorrow. British Columbians are hoping it will help those without a job and ease the pain at the pump.

Nearly half us think they will personally be worse-off following the budget, according to Mario Canseco with Angus Reid; that’s higher than anyone else in the country.

Canseco says otherwise, our interests are generally in line with rumours coming out of Ottawa, except for two things. The first is increasing the age for Old Age Security to 67; three quarters of Canadians don’t want to see that happen.

And, “what the government has chosen is raising the employment insurance premiums and lowering corporate taxes. I think Canadians want to see something that is completely opposite. Maybe we should expand government programs, reduce unemployment rates and keep corporate taxes the way they are,” says Canseco.

“Trying to reduce the sales tax on gas; 72 per cent of Canadians want to see something done about it. We’re also very conservative when it comes to fiscal issues; 68 per cent believe we should eliminate the federal budget deficit by 2015-16,” he notes.

Only one fifth of Canadians think the budget will be positive.

News1130 will have complete coverage of the budget tomorrow and what it means to you. As soon as it is tabled, Parliament Hill reporter Cormac MacSweeney will bring you all the details and our team of reporters will find out how it affects BC.

Highlights of the national Angus Reid Public Opinion poll:

– Fifty-one per cent expect the budget will focus primarily on spending cuts and fiscal restraint.

– Sixty-one per cent believe the federal government should try to balance the budget, even if it means reduced spending on services

– Twenty-one per cent would opt to increase spending, even if it means continued budget deficits

– About two thirds of Canadians support two concepts that have been discussed by the federal government recently: achieving the goal of eliminating the federal budget deficit by the 2015-16 fiscal year (68 per cent) and eliminating positions in the federal public service (64 per cent)

– Seventy-four per cent calling for expansion to government programs to reduce unemployment

– Seventy-two per cent calling for reduction in sales taxes on gas to lower the price at the pump

– Fifty-eight per cent believe tying corporate income tax breaks for companies to increases in their workforce is a good idea

– Twenty-six per cent think it would be a good idea to increase the eligibility age for Old Age Security (OAS) from 65 to 67 years

– Thirteen per cent think it is a good idea to lower corporate taxes and raise payroll taxes, such as the Employment Insurance (EI) premiums paid by employees and employers.

Click here to see the full report.

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