Focused on the Economy

June 02, 2008

Your Member of Parliament has been having a productive session.

There was a successful Address to Parliament by the President of Ukraine, Victor Yuschenko. The President gave an eloquent speech that was well received by all Parliamentarians and Canadians.

Your government passed Bill C-21 to give Aboriginals living on reserves the protection of the Canadian Human Rights Act. We passed our biofuels Bill, C-33, at third reading and is now in the Senate. This Bill requires that, by 2010, 5% of gasoline and by 2012, 2% of diesel and home heating oil, be comprised of renewable fuels.

Our Bill to implement the Free Trade Agreement with the countries of the European Free Trade Association – the first free trade agreement signed in 6 years – passed at 2nd reading and was sent to committee.

C-5, which deals with nuclear liability issues, also appears poised to pass at third reading.

The Minister of Finance appeared for over four hours to answer questions by Parliamentarians on the main estimates of his department. The Finance committee has reported the Budget Bill back to Parliament. The Bill ensures a balanced budget, controls spending, and keeps taxes down while avoiding a carbon gas and heating tax on Canadian families. As well, it makes much needed changes to the immigration system which will help keep our economy competitive.

Through the Budget Implementation Bill we are investing in the priorities of Canadians, which include:

• $500 million to help improve public transit;
• $400 million to help recruit front-line police officers;
• Nearly $250 million for carbon capture and storage projects in Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia; and
• $110 million to help Canadians facing mental health and homelessness challenges.
  

These investments, however, could be threatened if the Bill does not pass this session due to opposition obstruction and delay. Our government is absolutely committed to ensuring passage of the Budget Implementation Bill this session.

Beware biofuel flip-flops

People in Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke have been asking some good questions about biofuels recently. Some wonder if biofuels cause higher global food prices. Others wonder if this approach really reduces our footprint on the planet and helps the environment.

Here are some straight answers: yes, biofuels have a positive impact on the environment; and, no, there are a lot of reasons for higher global commodity prices including food, but Canadian biofuel production is not one of them. Canadians who pump their own gas know the obvious. Canada needs to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels to help the environment and also to help with the rising costs of gas.

Our government’s balanced biofuel plan will see a very small fraction of Canada's lower-grade crops being used to meet our practical biofuel goals of five per cent renewable content in gasoline and two per cent in diesel. Even when Canada reaches our biofuel goals, 95 per cent of Canadian cropland will continue to produce high quality food. The benefit to the environmental will be dramatic: the equivalent to taking one million cars off the road. In addition, our government is also investing in the "next generation" of biofuels made from waste products such as straw, leaves, wood chips, and even garbage.

These technologies will not only increase environmental benefits, but also help our farmers get more value from their crops while they continue to feed the world. Canadian companies and researchers are leading the world in developing this next generation of biofuels technology.

When it comes to oil prices, we all know they are set on the world stage. The good news is biofuels give Canadians the opportunity to take some control of costs whether they are filling up the family car or a farmyard tractor. Commercial biofuel plants are an obvious source of local green energy and farmers are now seeing new potential in micro-biofuel plants that can produce fuel right on the farm.

Keeping fuel costs under control is about more than the price at the pump. Virtually every product a Canadian family buys, from groceries to toys, is impacted by the cost of transportation. That is why this government is standing up for Canadian families by lowering the GST, cracking down on inaccurate gas pumps, and investing in biofuels.

At current fuel prices, the two per cent reduction in GST will save Canadians more than $800 million per year on their gasoline bill alone. All Canadians understand the need for alternative fuels and it is unfortunate the opposition parties are more interested in jacking up the price of fuels rather than tapping the potential of biofuels. This government is standing up for Canadian families with a balanced, common sense action for our economy and our environment.

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. Office contact Information: Constituency Office of Cheryl Gallant, MP, 84 Isabella St., Pembroke On. K8A 5S5 or call 732-4404. If you are long distance you may call the office toll-free at 1-866-295-7165. There is no postage required when you write your Federal Member of Parliament.