Agenda 2007: Building a Stronger, Safer, and Better Canada

One year ago, Canadians voted for change. And with the support of families and taxpayers, Canada’s new Government has achieved a lot of things over the past year that has benefited all Canadians. We can take pride in the fact that we kept our word and delivered on our priorities.

We started rebuilding public trust in the national government with the Federal Accountability Act. We focused spending, made a huge payment on the national debt, and passed a budget that provided $20 billion in tax relief.

We have provided real, tangible tax benefits for hard-working middle-class families and senior citizens, many of which are just starting to kick in. We offered choice in childcare with the universal child care benefit.

We introduced legislation to keep dangerous, violent offenders off our streets and started the long-overdue task of rebuilding the Canadian Forces. The first steps have been taken to reduce patient wait times and we are laying out a comprehensive, realistic plan to protect and improve our precious environment.

But there is still more to do to meet the challenges of the 21^st century and Canada must be strengthened in five key areas. We must have:

• Further tax reductions as part of a comprehensive economic agenda;
• Continued steps to tackle crime;
• Further strengthening of Canada’s global image and rebuilding the Canadian Forces;
• Addressing Senate reform and fiscal balances with the provinces; and
• Clear, decisive steps to protect our environment.

Senate Reform and Fiscal Balance

Canada’s commitment to democracy is the source of our success as a country. But our faith in our democracy has been shaken by the political scandal of recent years and recent governments.

The Federal Accountability Act has already gone a long way toward restoring public trust in Canada’s government. But we must do more, and there’s no better place to start than with our out of date Senate.

We must modernize the Upper House by setting fixed terms for Senators and we need to democratize it, by passing our Senate Elections Bill, so Canadians will finally have a say in who represents them in the Senate.

In our upcoming budget, we will finally take action to restore fiscal balance in Canada, so the provinces have the resources they need to meet their obligations to Canadians. The budget will put fiscal relations between government back on a principled basis by providing long-term, predictable, federal transfers and support.

Comprehensive Economic Agenda:

The strength of our country not only depends on its political institutions but a strong economy is also essential.

Finance Minister Flaherty unveiled a plan to make our economy stronger and more competitive, called Advantage Canada. This plan will constrain the growth of government, while giving individuals and businesses the freedom they need to flourish in today’s economy.

At the core of this plan is our commitment to continue cutting taxes, controlling spending, and paying down the debt. Budget 2007 will undertake historic action on this front, including putting into law our “tax back guarantee.”

But a stronger economy won’t be built on tax cuts alone. We will help make Canada a world leader in research and development, equip Canadians with the post-secondary education and training they need to succeed, and build modern infrastructure and transportation gateways.

Farmers can look forward to additional measures in the development of the government’s new income support programs, particularly in dealing with the issue of cost of production.

Strengthening Canada’s global image and rebuilding the Canadian Forces:

The escalation of terrorism awoke Canadians and the world to new dangers. Canada needs a stronger military and a stronger role in the world to protect our people at home and our interests abroad.

That’s why we’re going to continue rebuilding the Canadian Forces, continue the fight against the Taliban, and continue our reconstruction efforts for the people of Afghanistan.

We will continue to work with our allies to strengthen international stability and we will continue speaking clearly and openly on the international scene to uphold the fundamental values of the Canadian people: freedom, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.

We have also started restoring healthy relations with our neighbours to the south and while we may be smaller, we’re no less fierce about protecting our Canada.

We finally achieved a softwood lumber agreement and returned over $5 billion to Canadian producers. And as a result, we are looking better these days on the international scene and playing a true leadership role.

Continued steps to tackle crime:

Safe streets and safe neighbourhoods for our children are sadly no longer a given. In recent years, the homicide rate – often associated with gangs, guns, and drugs – has spiked upwards.

To make Canada safer, our government introduced legislation to get violent, dangerous criminal off our streets. We want people who commit serious crime to do serious time.

We want to crack down on sexual predators, street racers, impaired drivers, and those who use guns to commit crimes.

We’ve given police more resources to combat crime, we’ve started working with community groups to help prevent crime and we’re helping young people find positive alternatives to crime and drugs. And in the months ahead we will continue building a safer Canada by providing more support for victims of crime.

And while the opposition parties are bogging down our legislation to support mandatory prison sentences for gun crime, reverse onus on bail applications, and crackdowns on violent offenders, making Canada stronger and safer is this government’s priority.

Clear, decisive steps to protect our environment:

Canadians have made it clear that they want us to put one task ahead of all others: protecting out environment.

Our government understands that global warming is a serious threat to the health and well-being of Canadians. Rising levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere could be devastating for many parts of our planet.

Our children deserve to grow up in a world where they have clean air to breathe and clean water to drink. But in order to give our children this future, we have to have a realistic plan, not just empty rhetoric.

The previous government committed to ambitious greenhouse gas target, and then presided over a 27% increase. This is why our government is charting a dynamic new path.

For the first time ever we are move to regulate greenhouse gas emission and air pollutants from major industrial sectors, move to regulate the fuel efficiency of motor vehicles, and set out enforceable regulatory targets for the short, medium, and long term.

The era of voluntary compliance is over.

Our new ecoEnergy program will support energy efficiency and stimulate the production of renewable power. Canadians will see better protection from hazardous chemicals through our new Chemicals Management Plan, and our Clean Air Act will allow Canadians to breathe easier.

In a nutshell, Canadians will enjoy a cleaner, greener, and healthier country – a better Canada.

In conclusion:

As we roll out our agenda over the next few months, Canadians will recognize they have clear choices to make on the most important issues facing our country.

And the new Government of Canada believes that Canadians will choose to continue building a stronger, safer, and better Canada for all of us!