Pre-Budget Report Recognizes Trucking Issues

OTTAWA (January 13, 2000) – The Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) says its efforts to present issues of concern to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance as it undertook pre-budget consultations succeeded in creating a profile in the committee’s final report that had never before been achieved. Matters including the poor state of Canada’s highways and the need to restore the 80% meal-cost deduction for truck drivers were noted.

“This is the first time that I am aware of that the trucking industry has received any mention in the pre-budget consultation report,” says CTA chief executive officer David Bradley. “We will have to wait and see if Finance Minister Paul Martin actually listens to the committee when he brings in his next budget.”

The federal budget for the 2000-2001 fiscal year is expected to be presented by Martin in late February.