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Provencher MP Vic Toews says the Federal Government is staying true to its word to eliminate the deficit by 2015.  As part of that, Thursday's budget contained billions in cuts to government spending and the elimination of close to 20,000 federal jobs.

Toews says strong measures are necessary to reign in government spending and allow Canada to remain competitive on the global market.

"We've seen what has happened in other countries like Greece and Spain and Italy - their economies have essentially collapsed.  Canada, through very prudent management and very prudent expenditures, has been able to avoid those excesses.  But, we cannot continue to spend more money than we bring in without it having a severe impact on our economy."

In terms of Provencher, Toews says he is particularly excited about a new program being announced called the Community Infrastructure Improvement Fund.  The fund will allow upgrades to community centres in smaller communities in partnership with municipalities and non-profit organizations.

"We have benefited in Provencher from a lot of this through the 'Economic Action Plan'.  But, I think there may be some opportunities to repair existing community centres in smaller amounts.  Those repairs can be extremely important for small communities that exist in places like Provencher."

Perhaps one of the most talked about pieces of the budget is the government's decision to eliminate the penny.  Starting this fall, the Canadian Mint will no longer produce the copper coins.  
Toews says the penny is a coin who's time has come.

"For every penny we produce, it costs us a penny and a half to make it.  Most Canadians recognize that pennies spend more time in our dresser drawers than in our pockets.  Most Canadians that we interviewed and talked to have indicated that it is more of a nuisance than an assistance.  Therefore, we decided that the time for the penny to be eliminated has come."

Overall, Toews says it is an excellent budget that does exactly what needs to be done while ensuring essential services are protected