Welcome Back To Parliament!

February 04, 2008

After a busy winter constituent session, I am pleased to be back in Parliament representing the people of Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke in the nation’s business.

The Conservative government of Stephen Harper has sought to work for and with Canadians. We believe that governing is about leadership, setting priorities, and discipline. Federal taxes are headed to their lowest level in over four decades. Our government has returned close to $200 billion of your tax dollars in tax relief since coming to office. We kept our election promise and cut the GST from 7 to 5 percent ahead of schedule. Unemployment is at its lowest level in over three decades, business investment is expanding, debt levels are falling, and inflation and interest rates remain low.

Progress has been made in the last two years. However, Canadians should not take anything for granted. The opposition would like the government to spend. Worse yet, they would like to increase the GST and taxes, and start collecting a carbon tax to pay for interest groups, lobbyists and so-called experts to pay for all their pet projects, while delivering little to Canadians. We prefer to continue to show the foresight and solid leadership to help strengthen our economy.

Health of Canadians

The decision to seek and receive all-party support to re-start medical isotope production at Chalk River was one our government took only after long and careful consideration. The growing health crisis and the impasse between AECL and the nuclear regulator- the CNSC- required the Government take all responsible steps to find a resolution to this matter.

On numerous occasions, the Government asked for AECL and CNSC to work together to come to a solution. When this did not occur, the Government of Canada did the right thing when it introduced emergency legislation.

Cheers were heard up and down the Ottawa valley when, at 12:40 am on February 2nd, the second emergency back-up pump was successfully connected to the emergency power supply for the National Research Reactor (NRU), and became fully operational.

Congratulations to the women and men at the Chalk River Laboratories who worked tirelessly to secure our nation’s supply of medical isotopes.

The NRU has dependably provided this nation’ s supply of medical isotopes for over 50 years. While the isotope maker is served by eight pumps, one pump is sufficient to provide cooling flow when the reactor is shut down for regular maintenance.

On December 14th of last year the back-up, back-up emergency power system’s 1st pump was operational.

The February 2nd’ announcement was for the second emergency back-up back-up pump. I know men and women at AECL are committed to the safe and reliable operation of the NRU.

Congratulations Chalk River!

Support for Education

The recent announcement that Algonquin College is receiving $5.02 million dollars is just a small slice of the approximately $8.4 billion annually that the federal government through direct measures and transfers to the provinces, supports students. universities and colleges. As a result of the importance our government places on education, starting in 2008, we have increased our transfer support by $800 million annually. While in the past the province has stamped its name on federal education transfers, in future our government will increase the transparency of funding by identifying transfers by item.

Summer Jobs for Students

Canada Summer Jobs funding will be awarded to companies that provide good quality work experience for students, and which provide valuable community services.

The application period runs from February 1st to February 29th. Service Canada will then make allocations according to local priorities in Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke.

The program will fund not-for-profit, public-sector, and small private-sector employers with 50 or fewer employees to create summer job opportunities for young people 15 to 30 years old who are full-time students and intend to return to their studies in the next academic year. Larger private-sector employers with 50 or more employees will not be eligible for funding. Summer Career Placement Program funding is intended for employers to create jobs that would not have been offered without government help.

Applications are available on-line or by contacting my constituency office.

We Trust our Troops

There has been some discussion in Parliament lately about detainees in Afghanistan. The inference that Canadian soldiers are somehow violating detainee rights is an insult to the professionalism of our soldiers and their families that support them. Our Government put in place a supplementary arrangement that clearly outlines the responsibilities of Afghan and Canadian authorities as well as the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission and the International Committee of the Red Cross with respect to the transfer of detainees. This policy remains unchanged.

The Canadian Forces, working with other Canadian officials in Afghanistan, exercise their discretion concerning this policy. The bottom line is, our policy remains in place and the military uses its discretion on operational matters on the ground in theatre, as they always have. We take the issue of operational security very seriously. We’re not going to play politics with information that could put our soldiers in harms way. This isn’t a game. It’s irresponsible to divulge sensitive information that could be exploited by those who are actively seeking to harm the Afghan people and our Canadian Forces.

As your Federal Member of Parliament, I am pleased to represent you on a variety of issues. Whether that issue is eliminating the long gun registry, promoting agriculture, international trade, AECL, the military or jobs in the working forest, I am here to serve you!

As always, if you have any concerns of a federal nature, or just want to share your views with me, please do not hesitate to contact my office.