Statement by the Prime Minister of Canada

January 22, 2010

Prime Minister Stephen Harper issued the following statement on the four-year anniversary of the election of the Conservative government:
 
“I’m sure you’re all conscious of the date.  It was four years ago tomorrow that Canadians first chose our party to lead our country.  It was a minority government.  And they predicted it could not last.  They gave us 18 months at the absolute most.
 
“But we survived.  We persevered.  We won re-election.  And, tomorrow, we enter our fifth year of serving Canadians.
 
“Before I go on to talk about what that means, let me just remind you of how far we have come, often in the face of relentless opposition in both Houses.
 
“In four years, our government has helped ordinary working people by cutting taxes.  Tax Freedom Day is now 18 days earlier than it was when we took office.  We have given families more control and choice in childcare by giving them the Universal Child Care Benefit.  We have taken action to protect Canadians by making it easier to get dangerous criminals off the streets, more difficult for sexual predators to target children and ensuring that criminals who receive prison time pay their debt to society. We have cleaned up Ottawa, recognized the Québécois Nation and respected the provinces’ jurisdictions.  We have focussed the country’s attention on our vast true North, and beefed up the Canadian Forces giving them the equipment they need and the respect they deserve.  We are seeing that investment pay off right now through the rapid deployment of aid to the people of Haiti.
 
“Make no mistake, there is much left to do, but we can confidently say that Canada is safer, stronger and better off than it was four years ago.
 
“So, let’s talk about the work that still lies ahead.
 
“As you know, all of us have been focussed almost entirely on the delivery of stimulus measures since Canada was dragged into the global recession over a year ago.  The successful and rapid development and delivery of our unprecedented Economic Action Plan involved tremendous effort by everyone in this room.  
 
“You should all be proud of your contributions because our Economic Action Plan is working.  It has moderated the impact of the global recession in Canada, especially compared to other countries, and it has set us firmly on course for recovery.
 
“But the international economy remains fragile, and there is still a danger that we could get pulled back once again through no fault of our own.  That is why protecting Canada’s economy is the top priority of Canadians.  That is why it is our top priority.
 
“We have spent the last year focussed almost exclusively on rolling out stimulus projects, but now we must look broader and look ahead.  We are now almost midway through an extensive national consultation effort.  We have been meeting with and hearing from Canadian families, homeowners, workers, business-owners and industries about how best to meet our goals.  Already, close to 200 roundtables, town hall meetings, online consultations and other events have occurred, or are currently being planned, right across the country.
 
“The message from Canadians is clear.  First, we must stay the course for now.
The Economic Action Plan has been working and we must see it through.  Second, we have been told to start planning now for deficit reduction when the recession ends.  And third, we must continue the critical work of building Canada, especially for future jobs and economic growth in a globally competitive world.
 
“These are the messages that are guiding our work on the Speech from the Throne and the Budget that will be presented to the upcoming session of Parliament.
 
“Canadians have been profoundly moved by the suffering of their fellow human beings in Haiti.  And Canadians have asked us to do everything in our power to help.
 
“To that end, we have quickly mobilized an unprecedented relief effort led by the men and women of the Canadian Forces, coordinated by our diplomats and involving a small army of emergency aid workers.  Their challenge in the coming days and weeks, as part of the multinational relief effort, amounts to nothing less than the rescue of a shattered society.
 
“The even larger task, in the months and years that will follow, is to rebuild Haiti, to transform its unfathomable grief into a sustained hope for the future.
 
“I commend all Canadians – and all of you in this room – for your overwhelming response to this disaster.  We will continue to do our utmost to aid our Haitian neighbours and to help them to find their way to hope.
 
“Thank you.”




Backgrounder

MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE HARPER GOVERNMENT

This Saturday marks the four-year anniversary of the Conservative Party victory in the 2006 general election.
 
Along the way, our Government can point to a record of meaningful action which has made a positive difference to Canadians.
 
Tax Relief
In the four years since Canadians first elected our Conservative Government, we have cut the GST from 7 per cent to 6 per cent to 5 per cent.  We have helped working families lower their tax bill by cutting income taxes at all levels.  Seniors are enjoying lower taxes as a result of our action to introduce pension income splitting and our increases to the Age Amount.  We have also worked to make Canada a more attractive place to do business, by lowering our corporate and small business tax rates.  As a result, Canada will have the lowest tax rate on new business investment in the G-7 this year.
 
Helping Families
We have delivered real results for Canadian families.  We began by introducing the Universal Child Care Benefit, which gives families real choice in childcare.  Mom and Dad are the best judge of what is right for their kids and with the benefit.  Parents have the option to choose the right fit for their family.  We have also taken action to help make paying for things a little easier with special tax credits for children’s fitness programs and public transit passes.  We have also worked to make families safer and healthier by taking action to ban the potentially toxic substance Bisphenol-A in baby bottles, and by introducing tough new product safety legislation.
 
Crime and Justice
Our Government has taken action to improve our system of justice with tough new laws and penalties that fit the crime.  To help protect families and get dangerous criminals off the streets, we passed the Tackling Violent Crime Act.  We worked to protect children from sexual predators by increasing the age of protection from 14 to 16.  We have taken action to give police and judges the tools they need to crack down on drunk and stoned drivers.  At the same time, we have worked to ensure that criminals who receive jail sentences pay their debt to society.  We have passed laws that prevent dangerous criminals from serving their sentences from the comfort of their own home.  We have also ended the process of granting criminals 2-for-1 and 3-for-1 credit for time served before trial.  As well, we have worked to end the wasteful long-gun registry that targets honest farmers and hunters rather than dangerous criminals.

Accountability
Four years ago, we began to change the way that politics had been done.  To help ensure that politicians were not influenced by large contributions, we banned both corporations and unions from making political contributions.  We also reduced the amount of money that individuals can donate from $5,000 to $1,100 per year.  We have implemented strict new rules for lobbyists, and we have introduced a five-year ban on lobbying for Ministers and their aides, and senior public servants.  More recently, we have taken action to make the Senate more accountable to Canadians. We appointed Canada’s first elected Senator, Bert Brown of Alberta, and every new Senator we have appointed is committed to reforming the Senate.
 
Improving Security & Canada’s Place in the World
Since first taking office in 2006, our Conservative Government has invested in Canada’s role on the world stage while working to secure the safety of Canadians at home.  Our Government is taking action to strengthen national security.  Since 2006, we have invested in Canada’s North by increasing the presence of Canadian Rangers in the Arctic while also designating areas of our precious land for protection.  We have also invested in the Canadian Forces who work to defend our country and protect our citizens.  We are seeing that investment pay off right now through the rapid deployment of aid to the people of Haiti.  We are providing better insurance for Canadian Forces personnel while increasing support for those who experience illness or injury in the line of duty.  We are beefing up airport security for the safety of all travellers through Canada, by installing new security scanners.  And we are cracking down on global terrorism, even allowing victims to seek restitution from those individuals responsible for committing or supporting terrorism.
 

Recently Canada signed the Copenhagen Accord – a framework agreement among developed and developing nations, including China and the United States – to reduce the worldwide level of greenhouse gases.