A Year in Review with a Look Forward
By Ed Komarnicki, Member of Parliament
Ottawa (December 13, 2011) – Much has happened in 2011. We started the year with a minority government. We went through an election forced by the Liberal and NDP members, and started a new session as a majority government. We have seen the Liberal Party reduced to third party status, the Bloc Party of Quebec literally wiped out, and the feisty and energetic leader of the NDP, Jack Layton, sadly passing away after a bout with cancer. An eventful year to be sure, and as we come into a new year, I ponder what it has in store for us as we see a weakening European economy and the scope of Europe’s economic crisis widening. While there are encouraging signs for Canada and Saskatchewan in particular, we are not immune to the economic troubles facing Europe and the United States.
For Saskatchewan, we continue to see growth, especially enhanced by the natural resources sector. In fact, many project Saskatchewan as leading the nation in real GDP growth in 2012.
In Canada we find the International Monetary Fund forecasting Canada as having the strongest overall economic growth among the G-7 countries over the next two years. We have also had the strongest job growth in the G-7, seeing nearly 600,000 net new jobs since July 2009. The World Economic Forum is ranking our financial system as the soundest in the world for the fourth consecutive year and Moody’s renewed Canada’s AAA rating due to Canada’s economic resiliency, very high government financial strength, and a low susceptibility to event risk.
Canada’s economic record holds strong as we enter the new year. Forbes ranked Canada #1 in the world in its 2011 annual survey of ‘The Best Countries for Business’ for our economic and personal freedoms, innovation, and relatively low level of red tape.
This is not something that happened by accident. We have reduced taxes considerably, making Canada an ideal place to invest, and we worked to open new markets for business and continue to do so through trade deals. We also took some very specific steps, like providing a temporary hiring credit for small businesses to encourage additional hiring and extending the accelerated capital cost allowance for investments in manufacturing and processing machinery and equipment for two years.
We have also legislated a permanent annual investment of $2 billion in the Gas Tax Fund to provide predicable, long tern infrastructure for municipalities, introduced a Family Care Giver Tax Credit, a new Children’s Arts Tax Credit, and a Volunteer Firefighters Tax Credit.
Our Government made a number of specific promises to Canadians and we are delivering on them as well.
On October 25, 2011 in the House of Commons, our Government introduced the Ending the Long Gun Registry Act. By eliminating the wasteful and ineffective long gun registry, we can instead focus our efforts on measures that actually tackle crime and make our streets and communities safe.
Also, the Marketing Freedom for Grain Farmers Act has not only been introduced, but passed through third reading in the House of Commons with a schedule that would take it through the Senate and Royal Assent before Christmas. I appreciate that there are differences of opinion with the direction the government has taken to provide marketing freedom to a significant number of farmers who do not wish to be part of the marketing pool. Notwithstanding that some have challenged the legislation in court, most will agree that Parliament ultimately has the ability to change, amend, or repeal legislation.
Another piece of new legislation was the passage of the Safe Streets and Communities Act that provided comprehensive legislative reforms getting tough on crime and criminals that include:
- Increased penalties for sexual offences against children,
- Tougher sentences for organized drug crime,
- Sebastien’s law; to better protect the public from violent and repeat young offenders,
- Ending house arrest for serious crimes,
- Providing victims with the right to attend parole hearings,
- Eliminating pardons for serious crimes,
- Additional discretion for the Minister of Public Safety when considering the return of Canadian offenders from abroad,
- Increased accountability for victims of terrorism.
Finally, I continue to be honoured and humbled by the mandate we received from Canadians this spring. I would like to thank each and every one of you for your trust in me as Member of Parliament for our great riding of Souris – Moose Mountain as we continue to deliver results for our families, seniors and businesses.
