Did You Know...? - Edition 20

December 04, 2009

That… The Prime Minister welcomed the announcement that Her Majesty The Queen of Canada and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh will tour Canada from June 28 to July 6, 2010. Our Sovereign plays a vital, non-partisan role as the focus of citizenship, loyalty and allegiance. The Crown is the guardian of our constitutional freedoms. It endures as a symbol of our unique Canadian identity, uniting Canadians of every background and in every part of the nation. The Crown provides constancy and continuity through ever-changing times. The upcoming Royal Tour by The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh will be their first in Canada since 2005. The Royal Tour will include stops in Nova Scotia, Ontario, Manitoba and the National Capital Region for Canada Day. Canadians hold Her Majesty and the Royal Family in deep affection and high regard. We look forward to welcoming our Sovereign.

That… Statistics Canada announced that real GDP in Canada grew by 0.4% in the third quarter of 2009‪‪.  While it’s encouraging that Canada’s economic growth has stabilized, the global economic recovery remains fragile and tentative. As Finance Minister Jim Flaherty has said, the Canadian economy is recovering, but has not yet fully recovered. To protect our economy, we need to stay the course and fully implement Canada’s Economic Action Plan. Household spending has increased thanks to our tax cuts for Canadian families‪. Spending on homes has rebounded fueled by the recession-fighting Home Renovation Tax Credit. Businesses increased their investments in productivity-improving machinery and equipment thanks to our tax relief and tariff reductions‪. Infrastructure (and other government capital) spending increased by nearly 25% this quarter, the largest increase in nearly a decade‪. Our Plan is ensuring that Canada will lead the global recovery. The OECD recently projected that Canada will have the second strongest economic growth among G7 countries in 2010, and the strongest G7 growth in 2011.

That… Minister Finley and Minister Kenney announced a new agreement on foreign credential recognition. Like all Canadians, newcomers want to get a job in their field so they can contribute to the Canadian economy. The agreement on foreign credentials will ensure that foreign qualifications are assessed and recognized in a timely manner and will enable newcomers to maximize their talents. This Framework is part of the Government of Canada's strategy to have the best educated, most skilled and most flexible workforce in the world. Through Canada's Economic Action Plan our Government is working with provinces and territories as well as stakeholders to address barriers to foreign qualification recognition. Working with the provinces and territories, our Government is breaking down the barriers that impede labour mobility, helping to strengthen the Canadian economy and improve the standard of living of all Canadians. In another area, amendments to the Agreement to Internal Trade will allow qualified both Canadian- and foreign-trained workers to practice their profession anywhere in the country. For more information visit: http://news.gc.ca/web/article-eng.do?m=%2Findex&nid=499119

That… The Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance, presented the Government's latest report on the implementation of Canada's Economic Action Plan. The Fourth Report to Canadians shows that 97 per cent of stimulus funding in Canada's Economic Action Plan has been committed to more than 12,000 infrastructure and housing projects. About 8,000 or 66 per cent of these projects have already begun in the 10 months since the two-year plan was launched. Minister Flaherty highlighted the progress made in implementing the Economic Action Plan, including:
Reducing the tax burden for Canadian families and businesses by more than $20 billion over 2008–09 and the following five fiscal years.
Supporting Canadian workers who have lost their jobs or may face layoffs through additional Employment Insurance benefits and training opportunities.
Creating and preserving jobs through investment in modern infrastructure and affordable housing.
Supporting research and advanced education by funding much-needed maintenance, repair and construction projects at colleges and universities across Canada.
Protecting jobs in industries and communities hit hardest by the recession.
Taking unprecedented action to improve the availability of financing for households and businesses in Canada.
For more information, http://www.fin.gc.ca/n08/09-112-eng.asp

That… Statistics Canada reported recently that employment in Canada increased by nearly 80,000 jobs in November, considerably better than market expectations of a 15,000 job increase.  This helped lower the unemployment rate from 8.6% to 8.5%. These numbers confirm that Canada’s Economic Action Plan is having a positive impact on creating and maintaining jobs. By comparison, the United States lost 11,000 jobs in November. This is the 23rd straight month of job losses in the U.S.  For the first time in a generation, the U.S. unemployment rate is nearly 2 percentage points higher than Canada’s. Our Government is committed to staying on course and protecting our economy by fully implementing Canada’s Economic Action Plan.  We will remain focussed on the economy and on helping Canadians.