Flaherty budget good for business, tough on some workers.

Federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty's Jan. 27 'stimulus' budget received a thumbs-up from the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.
In the business association's analysis, $12 billion in infrastructure spending "fits the bill" in producing short-term stimulus with long-term benefits.
Raising the maximum Working Income Tax Benefit (WITB) will encourage more people to enter the workforce. But the chamber said it remains to be seen whether Canadian companies will take advantage of tax incentives for business investment given slow markets, dropping profit margins and difficulty in obtaining financing.
The government's measures to help hard-hit manufacturing sectors were welcomed by Avrim Lazar, President and CEO of the Forest Products Association of Canada.
The budget outlined $170 million in investment to the industry over two years for new biomass technologies, new products, developing off-shore markets and finding non-traditional uses of wood domestically.
"The budget investments in innovation, market promotion and, research and development signal to us the government gets it."
However the union for 60,000 forestry workers said the budget gives his members "the short end of the stick to an industry in crisis."
Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union President Dave Coles saw little offered to revitalize the forest sector with no initiatives to provide for older workers to "retire with dignity." Ineffective EI reforms, the CEP said, will not help younger workers through the year.