(Newmarket-Aurora, Ontario) - Newmarket-Aurora MP Lois Brown today highlighted a number of the government’s 2011 accomplishments.
“2011 saw good progress made on our mandate received from Canadians on May 2,” said MP Brown. “Our Economic Action Plan is not only helping to create jobs, but is delivering real results for families, seniors and businesses in Newmarket-Aurora and across the country.”
MP Brown remarked that amid ongoing global economic uncertainty, Canada continues to garner international praise for its strong economic policies. Influential business magazine, Forbes, recently ranked Canada as the best country in the world in which to do business. The World Economic Forum, for the fourth consecutive year, ranked Canada’s banks as the soundest in the world and three major credit ratings agencies have all given Canada their highest AAA rating.
"Looking ahead I look forward to working to improve the financial security of residents, keeping taxes low, defending the rights of law-abiding citizens, and making our communities a better place to live, work and raise a family," said MP Brown.
MP Brown hosts a Pre-Budget Consultation meeting on January 25 at the Aurora Cultural Centre from 7-9 p.m., to solicit local feedback on upcoming Budget 2012. For more information residents may contact MP Brown by phone at 905-953-7515, by email at lois.brown@parl.gc.ca or by mail / in person at 16600 Bayview Ave., Newmarket, Ontario, L3X 1Z9.
Backgrounder – Highlighting Government Actions in 2011
Actions for the Economy:
Providing a temporary Hiring Credit for Small Business to encourage additional hiring by those who account for nearly half of private sector job creation.
Extending work-sharing agreements by up to 16 weeks, so companies can avoid layoffs by offering EI benefits to workers willing to work a reduced work week while their company recovers.
Extending the Targeted Initiative for Older Workers to support training and employment programs for older workers.
Enhancing the Wage Earner Protection Program to cover more workers affected by employer bankruptcy or receivership.
Negotiating trade agreements with approximately 50 countries to open up new markets.
Reintroducing a bill to remove barriers to trade.
Launching a new strategy to strengthen Canada’s tourism advantage.
Expanding eligibility for the accelerated capital cost allowance for clean energy generation equipment.
Supporting the manufacturing and processing sector by extending the accelerated capital cost allowance treatment for investments in manufacturing and processing machinery and equipment for two years.
Introducing legislation to modernize Canada’s copyright regime.
Launching the Federal Tourism Strategy in October 2011 to help position Canada’s tourism sector for long-term growth and global competitiveness.
Establishing the Red Tape Reduction Commission, to find ways to reduce the regulatory burden on small businesses so that they can focus their attention on growing their business and creating jobs.
Reducing the federal deficit in 2011 by $22.2 billion, a 40 per cent reduction from 2009-10.
Closing numerous tax loopholes that allow a few businesses and individuals to avoid paying their fair share of tax.
Actions for Families:
Enhancing the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) for seniors which will benefit more than 680,000 of Canada’s lowest-income seniors, representing a $300 million investment per year.
Enhancing the New Horizons for Seniors Program to support projects that ensure seniors have opportunities to contribute to their communities.
Introducing a new $2,000 Family Caregiver Tax Credit to assist caregivers of infirm dependent relatives, and remove the $10,000 limit on eligible expenses that can be claimed under the Medical Expense Tax Credit in respect of a dependent relative.
Removing the limit on the amount of eligible expenses that caregivers can claim under the Medical Expense Tax Credit in respect of financially dependent relatives.
Increasing flexibility to access Registered Disability Savings Plan assets for beneficiaries with shortened life expectancies.
Introducing Pooled Registered Pension Plans (PRPPs) to help Canadians who do not have an employer-sponsored retirement plan, including the self-employed.
Introducing legislation to reinforce the stability of Canadian housing finances and strengthen the mortgage insurance regime.
Improving the regulatory framework of the charitable sector to give confidence to Canadians who make donations.
Embracing the recommendations of the Task Force on Financial Literacy.
Enhancing consumer protection by banning unsolicited credit card cheques.
Reintroducing legislation to protect privacy during commercial transactions.
Introducing a new Children’s Arts Tax Credit of up to $500 per child for eligible fees associated with children’s artistic, cultural, recreational and developmental activities.
Extending the ecoENERGY Retrofit-Homes program to help homeowners make their homes more energy efficient, reducing the burden of high energy costs.
Helping establish a Canada Brain Research Fund to support Canadian neuroscience, and to improve the health and quality of life for Canadians who suffer from brain disorders.
Supporting the construction of a cyclotron for the production of medical isotopes at the Thunder Bay Regional Research Institute.
Supporting community-based projects to help Canadians with diabetes through the Canadian Diabetes Strategy.
Funding research to develop new treatments for lung, breast and ovarian cancers, as well as other life-threatening diseases.
Increasing the safety and quality of Canadian dairy products.
Introducing tough new warning messages for tobacco products.
Keeping consumers informed about energy drinks, with new measures that help ensure Canadian families can make informed choices.
Helping internationally trained professionals get jobs by improving the recognition of foreign credentials.
Cutting backlog and wait times for family reunification.
Helping families stay in touch by introducing the Parent and Grandparent Super Visa.
Actions for Students, Research & Innovation:
Establishing 10 new Canadian Excellence Research Chairs, some in fields related to Canada’s Digital Economy Strategy.
Helping small and medium sized businesses accelerate their adoption of key information and communications technologies through collaborative projects with colleges.
Improving commercialization and supporting demonstration of new technologies in the marketplace by supporting research links between colleges, universities and businesses.
Investing through the Idea to Innovation program to support joint college-university commercialization projects.
Helping apprentices in the skilled trades and workers in regulated professions by making occupational, trade and professional examination fees eligible for the Tuition Tax Credit.
Enhancing and expanding eligibility for the Canada Student Loan and Grant Program for part-time and full-time post-secondary students.
Providing funding of $100 million per year to the Canada Media Fund for investments in the creation of digital content across multiple platforms.
Providing an additional $65 million for Genome Canada to continue its groundbreaking work.
Promoting science and engineering in Canada’s youth through the PromoScience program.
Investing in social sciences and humanities research, supporting over 1,700 projects.
Supporting the development of new clean technology projects through Sustainable Development Technology Canada.
Renewing funding for research, development and demonstrations of clean energy and energy efficiency.
Helping apprentices in the skilled trades and workers in regulated professions by making occupational, trade and professional examination fees eligible for the Tuition Tax Credit.
Improving federal financial assistance for students.
Actions for Communities:
Providing approximately $2 billion of predictable, long-term infrastructure funding for municipalities through the Gas Tax Fund.
Funding additional projects as part of the Lake Simcoe Clean Up Fund.
Investing in wind energy in Ontario.
Investing in Carbon Capture and Storage technology in Alberta.
Passing a mandatory minimum penalty of at least two years for fraud over $1 million.
Contributing to the Communities at Risk: Security Infrastructure Pilot Program to support security for communities victimized by hate-motivated crime.
Upgrading baggage scanning equipment at Canadian airports.
Engaging in efforts to prevent human smugglers from abusing Canada’s immigration system.
Allowing courts to consider the impact of a victim of fraud, given the victim’s particular circumstances, including his/her age, health and financial situation, in determining a fair sentence.
Passing ‘Mega-trials’ legislation to help ensure complex cases involving activities such as drug trafficking, white-collar crime, terrorism or organized crime can be heard more swiftly and effectively.
Reintroducing a bill to define self-defence and citizen’s arrest.
With the Safe Streets and Communities Act, reintroduced essential reforms including:
The Protecting Children from Sexual Predators Act
The Penalties for Organized Drug Crime Act
Sebastien’s Law (Protecting the Public from Violent Young Offenders)
The Ending House Arrest for Property and Other Serious Crimes by Serious and Violent Offenders Act
The Increasing Offender Accountability Act
The Eliminating Pardons for Serious Crimes Act
The Keeping Canadians Safe (International Transfer of Offenders) Act
The Justice for Victims of Terrorism Act and related amendments to the State Immunity Act
The Preventing the Trafficking, Abuse and Exploitation of Vulnerable Immigrants Act
Launching a Citizenship Guide that articulates the Canadian principles of the equal and fair treatment of women and girls.
Approving more than $30.4 million in Status of Women funding for projects to end violence against women and girls.
Actions for our Veterans & Institutions:
Rebuilding the Canadian Navy.
Restoring the historic identities of the Royal Canadian Navy, the Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Air Force.
Announcing new services to keep military families better informed and connected.
Enhancing the New Veterans Charter, providing additional financial support.
Funding the building of new community war memorials, and the repair of damaged memorials.
Introducing the Senate Reform Act to set term limits for Senators and establish a democratic process for selection Senators.
Investing in Canada’s Heritage by commemorating the War of 1812, including the sponsorship of hundreds of events across the country and investing in the restoration of monuments and historic sites.
Passing the Fair Representation Act (Bill C-20) to provide fairer representation in the House of Commons for the faster-growing provinces of Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia, while protecting the seat counts of the slower-growing provinces and protecting the proportional representation of Quebec according to population.
Respecting taxpayer dollars by introducing legislation which includes provisions to phase out direct subsidies for political parties by 2015-16.
Reinforcing Canada’s role in global food security by increasing support for the World Food Programme and the Canadian Foodgrains Bank.
Providing aid to drought victims in East Africa through the World Food Programme and by establishing the East Africa Drought Relief Fund.
