Staying the Course: 90% of the Economic Action Plan has been committed
Prime Minister Stephen Harper recently presented the Government’s latest report on the implementation of Canada’s Economic Action Plan. The Third Report to Canadians entitled “Staying on Course” shows that 90 per cent of the stimulus funding for this fiscal year has now been committed to more than 7,500 infrastructure and housing projects. More than 4,000 of these projects have begun in the first six months of the 24-month plan.
In just over 100 days, Canada’s Economic Action Plan is already protecting Canadians, stimulating our economy and creating jobs from coast to coast to coast. Our Economic Action Plan is helping create or maintain an estimated 220,000 Canadian jobs by the end of 2010.
Our Conservative Government has taken unprecedented action to protect Canadians during the global economic recession, including:
• Reducing the tax burden on Canadian families and businesses through significant permanent personal income tax relief and moving towards the most competitive overall tax rate on new business investment among industrialized countries
• Delivering targeted help to Canadians who are currently out of work, while providing skills training to help them prepare for the jobs of the future
• Creating jobs through investment in modern green infrastructure and affordable housing
• Laying the foundations for long-term economic growth through investments in infrastructure at colleges, universities, federal laboratories and research facilities; additional support for graduate students and internships; and support for research and development, including clean energy technologies
• Protecting jobs in industries and communities hit hardest by the recession
• Ensuring the continued stability of the Canadian financial system, which has been recognized as a world leader, and improving access to financing for Canadian families and businesses
We have made great progress, but there is more to be done. Our efforts are having a positive effect. We are seeing stabilization and the early beginnings of a recovery. However, we are not out of the woods yet, which is why it is crucial that we continue to implement our Plan. While Michael Ignatieff and the Liberals are trying to force an unnecessary and opportunistic election, we want to remain focused on helping Canadians.
