Today, the Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, highlighted how Budget 2024: Fairness for Every Generation takes action to protect Canadians, the economy, and our environment from the increasing effects of climate change. The costs of inaction today would be borne chiefly by younger Canadians-and we will not leave them behind.
Last year, Canadians faced the worst wildfire season on record, with over 15 million hectares burned-seven times the annual average. As the wildfires made worse by climate change increasingly threaten Canadians and our communities, our government is taking action to ensure firefighters and first responders across Canada are well equipped to keep Canadians safe.
To fight wildfires, it is critical to invest in the heroic firefighters who put their own safety at risk to protect their fellow Canadians. That's why Budget 2024 doubles the Volunteer Firefighters Tax Credit and the Search and Rescue Volunteers Tax Credit, from $3,000 to $6,000. Doubling these tax credits means these essential volunteers can receive up to $450 more every year when they file their taxes.
Budget 2024 also strengthens our partnership with the International Association of Fire Fighters by providing an additional $800,000 for wildfire fighting capacity and enhanced training, with a focus on the wildland-urban interface. This builds on existing funding to support the federal government's commitment to train 1,000 wildland firefighters.
When emergencies happen, Canadians stick together and help take care of each other. We're addressing the effects of climate change and making sure that Canada's volunteer firefighters get the support they deserve-and these are just some of the things included in Budget 2024 to make Canada fairer for every generation. Alongside these measures, we're growing our economy, investing in health care, and creating good-paying jobs so that every generation can get ahead.
