May 18, 2010
Chamber speech
I want to take a few minutes to talk to you about some of our Government’s accomplishments, where we’re headed, and how we’re tackling the global recession to protect jobs, families and businesses across Canada.
When the global recession arrived last year, Canada was ready.
Thanks to our Conservative Government’s strong fiscal management, our action of tax relief and debt reduction, and that our banks are the soundest in the world, Canada was in a much stronger position than many other countries.
Fiscal responsibility and paying down debt are important goals for our Government, but so are helping hard-working families and businesses during tough economic times, and laying the groundwork for future prosperity.
That’s why our Government brought in Canada’s Economic Action Plan last year.
This year’s Federal budget implements the second year of our Action Plan, and it includes $19 billion in new stimulus to create jobs now.
It’s a plan that’s working. Statistics Canada announced that GDP continues to grow. Canada has benefited from six consecutive months of economic growth.
Statistics Canada reported that a record 108,700 new jobs were created in April, lowering the unemployment rate to 8.1%. This is the largest monthly job gain on record. Canada’s Economic Action Plan has contributed to the creation of over 285,000 jobs in Canada since July 2009.
And it’s a plan that is protecting jobs: in fact, 225,000 jobs have been saved, thanks to our Government’s expanded Work-Sharing program.
The Economic Action Plan is a two-year plan to help Canadians who have been hit by the worst global recession in decades. The good news is that the IMF and OECD predict Canada will lead the G-7 in growth this year and next year.
Standard & Poors, the world’s premier credit-rating agency, recently confirmed Canada’s enviable fiscal position, saying, “Of the other G-7 countries…Canada is posting the best fiscal results. Canada also best weathered the financial crisis…(and) is now well positioned to continue to outperform.”
The latest edition of The Economist magazine calls Canada an “economic star.”
Jobs and economic growth remain our government’s top priority.
Part of our Economic Action Plan includes lower taxes. Since becoming Government four years ago on January 23, 2006, our Conservative Government has been busy delivering over $220 billion in tax relief to Canadians.
Canada’s Economic Action Plan builds on that record with even more personal income tax relief. This includes letting Canadians earn more before paying federal income tax, and before being subject to higher tax rates.
Our Government believes competitive business taxes are essential to encouraging new investment, growth and job creation in Canada.
Our business tax reductions are encouraging new investment, which in turn contributes to improved living standards for Canadians.
Business investment is a key driver of Canada’s prosperity. It promotes innovation and growth, which generate more and better jobs at higher wages for Canadian workers.
An internationally competitive business tax system is crucial to attracting investment to Canada.
After years of high business taxes under the Federal Liberals, and being at a tax disadvantage compared to the U.S., we’re once again making Canada an investment destination of choice.
Our Conservative government has a bold plan to make Canada’s business investment tax rate the lowest in the G7 and below the OECD average:
We are on track to have the lowest overall tax rate on new business investment in the G7 by this year
We will have a federal corporate rate of 15% in 2012 – down from 22% .
We will have a federal-provincial rate of 25% by 2012 – the lowest statutory tax rate in the G7.
Tim Horton’s, a Canadian icon that left Canada under the high-tax Liberals, is now shifting its base of operations back to Canada as a direct result of our government’s steps to cut business taxes.
This is a clear sign that our actions are driving investments – building a stronger and prouder Canada.
The Economic Action Plan helps workers by extending EI benefits an additional five weeks, and making it easier for workers to receive training.
Our plan is modernizing Canada’s roads and bridges, and boosting housing and construction.
All across Canada, we have about 16,000 infrastructure projects that are either started, finished, or ready to go.
The Action Plan is also building and improving parks, recreation trails, hockey arenas and sporting facilities, public transit systems, VIA Rail service, and green infrastructure projects that will improve sewage treatment and provide new sources of energy.
Investing in infrastructure is important for Canada. Over $14 Million Federal dollars for infrastructure projects recently came to the Langleys.
That helps create jobs, and Canada will enjoy greener energy, better public transit, and improved roads, bridges and border crossings, that we need now and for the years to come.
Our Government is laying the groundwork for future prosperity by investing $1.9 billion to create the economy of tomorrow, attracting talented people to Canada, and putting resources into our universities for world-class research.
It also means helping our manufacturers by eliminating all remaining job-killing tariffs on machinery, equipment and goods imported for manufacturing.
When it is fully implemented, this measure will provide $300 million in annual duty savings for Canadian businesses.
That’s money our manufacturers can use to get more Canadians back to work.
Continuing to lead the way on jobs and growth is our Government’s top priority.
But as the economy recovers, we need to return to balanced budgets as quickly as possible.
Our Conservative Government has announced a three-point plan that will see us wind down the temporary stimulus measures, restrain spending, and undertake a comprehensive review of all government operations.
The Federal Liberals, on the other hand, want us to increase business taxes in order to pay for Liberal programs, their calling for a hike in the GST, and they would love a national carbon tax…they taxes.
Folks, raising taxes during a fragile economic recovery is a sure-fire way to kill jobs.
Our Government will not raise your taxes, and we will maintain funding for health care, education and support for seniors.
Our Government is also speaking out against a proposed new global bank tax. Our banks have been recognized as the most sound in the world. Since Canada’s banks acted responsibly to avoid toxic assets, it makes no sense to impose a punitive tax on them now. Our Federal ministers are making sure Canada’s voice is heard on this important issue.
Canadians also know that our Conservative Government is the only party in Parliament that’s serious about getting tough on crime.
For years, one of the defining features of this country was our low rates of crime.
The relative safety of most of Canada’s big cities compared to their American counterparts has been a difference of which we were rightly proud.
But rising levels of gun, gang and drug crime have shown we cannot take this for granted – and Canadians are looking for action.
Upon taking office, our government committed itself to tackling crime. And this is exactly what we have done. So far this year, we have introduced:
- Legislation that will provide more tools for police and prosecutors to prevent and investigate terrorist activities;
- We introduced legislation that would assist in the fight against sexual exploitation of children by requiring suppliers of Internet services to report Internet child pornography;
- We introduced legislation that would provide tougher sentences for fraud, to help combat white-collar crime. The proposed legislation would also require judges to consider requiring offenders to make restitution to victims in all fraud cases.
- We introduced legislation to end sentence discounts for multiple murders.
- We introduced amendments to the young offender’s legislation to keep violent and repeat young offenders off the streets while they await trial.
Last year, the Liberals and NDP opposed Bill C-15, which would have imposed real jail time for criminals who sell drugs to kids.
Canadians were recently outraged when they learned that sex offender Graham James received a pardon. They are rightly concerned that other notorious criminals may also get a rubber stamp, if Parliament does not act quickly.
We introduced legislation to amend the granting of pardons for serious crimes and are hoping to pass it before this summer. For example, pedophiles should no longer be able to get a pardon.
There is overwhelming support for our legislation among Canadians and victims’ advocates.
What have the opposition parties said? The Liberals want to hear from the “experts”. The Bloc is concerned about “stigmatizing” rapists. The NDP say they oppose the principles behind the bill.
Canadians have told us they want action on crime, and we are already delivering.
Our government is taking action to help ensure the safety and security of our communities. We are standing up for victims of crime, and putting the rights of law-abiding citizens ahead of the rights of criminals.
Our Government has already:
- Passed the comprehensive Tackling Violent Crime Act, which
We passed legislation to end House Arrest for serious personal injury offences, including sexual assault.
- toughened sentencing and bail for those who commit serious gun crimes;
- it provides better protection for youth from sexual predators; andit gets serious with drug impaired drivers.
We passed legislation that will ensure all murders committed in connection with organized crime will become first degree murders, subject to a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment without eligibility for parole for 25 years. The bill also created a new broad-based offence to target drive-by shootings.
We established the National Anti-Drug Strategy to reduce the supply of and demand for illicit drugs in Canada.
We established the Office of the Federal Ombudsman for Victims of Crime, and
We scrapped the 2 for 1 credit criminals used to received for time served in jail prior to sentencing in order to keep convicted criminals behind bars.
Our government is taking further action to protect the rights of victims of crime. We believe the justice system must not put the rights of criminals ahead of the rights of law-abiding Canadians.
The Liberals often tried to block our tough-on-crime legislation when they had a majority in the Senate.
Let me assure you: our Conservative Government will continue to fight for safer streets and safer communities for all Canadians.
In closing, our government is also committed to improving Parliament.
We introduced The Senate Term Limits bill that will cap the tenure of new senators at one term of eight years. It will apply to all senators appointed after the October 2008 general election, including the 18 recently appointed senators.
We are addressing the issue of under-representation of the faster-growing provinces in the House of Commons.
The faster-growing provinces of BC, Alberta and Ontario would receive more seats: BC would receive 7 new seats, Alberta would receive 5 new seats and Ontario would receive 18 new seats. The remaining provinces’ seat count would not change. Representation by population is democratic...a vote cast in BC should be just as important as a vote cast in Quebec.
We will also give Canadians increased voting opportunities... two additional advance polling days during Federal elections. This will maximize the opportunity for Canadians to vote at advance polls in their own neighbourhood.
Our Conservative Government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Harper is working hard for you and all Canadians, leading the way on creating jobs, stimulating growth, ensuring government accountability, and standing up for law-abiding Canadians .Thank you…I look forward to your questions.
