Dave Mackenzie, MP

The federal budget is out and MP Dave MacKenzie doesn't think there's anything in there that will benefit Oxford residents.

OXFORD COUNTY - The Liberals have released their budget and Oxford's Conservative MP isn't a fan of it.

It includes $21.5 billion in new spending with a strong focus on women, science and conservation. It also comes with $18.1 billion deficit for the fiscal year, with no plan to balance the books until at least 2023.

It also includes an increase in tobacco tax; something Dave MacKenzie isn't too happy about.

"When you increase the taxes on legitimate manufactured tobacco, what happens is the contraband and counterfeit industry takes a bigger chunk. I am sorry to see they have taken that approach but they have."

The tax is going up $1 for a carton of 200 cigarettes. There's also an adjustment that would see the taxes increase with inflation every year, rather than every five years.

MacKenzie adds the Liberals don't appear to have a crutch to lean on if the NAFTA renegotiations fall through.

MacKenzie says he doesn't see anything he thinks Oxford residents will be excited about.

"For the most part it's social re-engineering to fit the Prime Minister's agenda and whether or not that benefits people in Oxford it will be for those folks to decide that."

