About this time every year, Banff-Airdrie MP Blake Richards invites constituents to a series of Pre-Budget Consultation townhalls to share their feedback on what they'd like to see included in the upcoming federal budget.  

This year Richards is still holding the event but this time it will be virtual and, since the Liberal government in Ottawa has given no indication of when they'll be delivering the budget, the meeting will be to talk about Canada's economic recovery when the pandemic is finally over.

"We're doing the format of a virtual meeting because of the fact that public gatherings are not something that we should be doing right now," says Richards.  "We'll see how this works and maybe it's something we'll add to the repertoire going forward.  The meeting will be a little broader in focus talking about our economic recovery and that's critical right now."

Richards says Canada has gone nearly two years without a budget from the Liberals which he says is likely the longest period in history.  Since the Trudeau government hasn't indicated when they'll table one during the pandemic, Richards feels the discussion at the meeting will talk about the massive amount of debt Canada has wracked up during the pandemic.

"When you talk about the economic future and you talk about the finances of the country and the spending that's happened and the massive deficits that have been created as a result, how to get the books back in order has to be a big part of that discussion and I have no doubt that constituents will have questions and opinions about that."

While other virtual meetings have not been well attended, Richards believes that the turnout online for Monday (January 25) night's townhall could be better than the budget consultations in the past. 

"I would expect that.  So far, the number of people that have indicated they plan to attend looks pretty high and I would expect nothing less.  It's a pretty critical time in our nation's history.  We're in a spot where the finances of the country are in the worst shape that they've ever been in. We've got the largest deficit by miles over what we've ever seen in the past and there are a lot of people worried about their future, which is the most important aspect of all of this."

To be a part of the town hall, which is set for Monday, January 25th starting at 7:00 pm MT,  you must register today (January 22) at  blakerichards.ca/townhall.  

If you're unable to make the virtual townhall you can share your thoughts with Richards HERE.

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