Did You Know...? - Edition 23

January 08, 2010

That… A Proclamation was issued on December 30, 2009, proroguing the Second Session of the 40th Parliament. Parliament is recalled on Wednesday, March 3, 2010. The Governor General will deliver a Speech from the Throne on March 3rd, followed by a federal budget on March 4th.  The Speech will launch a new session of the current Parliament and the next phase of our Economic Action Plan.

That… Canadian Press inaccurately reported that Prime Minister Harper is open to a carbon tax. This story is simply false and misleading and based on an inaccurate reporting of the Prime Minister’s remarks on CTV. The Prime Minister was clear: “We're looking to avoid any kind of additional taxes on Canadians. That's a pretty firm priority of this government.” He also said: "We won't be raising taxes, but we will be constraining growth, making sure that growth is very much contained in the future, and that the tax base of the country can gradually recover."

That… Statistics Canada announced that Canada’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 0.2% in October, following positive growth in September. While it’s encouraging to see Canada’s economy stabilizing, the global economic recovery remains fragile and tentative. Just last month, Canada created nearly 80,000 new jobs -- welcome news, but the job is not yet over. Canada is weathering the current global economic challenges better than nearly every other industrialized country, but we cannot be complacent. Once the economy has recovered, our next priority is to return to a balanced budget.
That… Minister Ambrose and Minister Paradis encourage Canadians to take advantage of the Home Renovation Tax Credit. As a key component of Canada’s Economic Action Plan, the Home Renovation Tax Credit (HRTC) provides powerful incentives for Canadians to invest in their homes while realizing significant tax savings, helping to create jobs in the construction and home-building industry. Millions of families throughout Canada have already taken advantage of the credit, supporting job creation in the housing industry. Canadians undertaking eligible renovations to their homes before February 1, 2010 will receive up to $1,350 in tax relief from the temporary HRTC.

That… On Dec. 31st, the Conservative Party won its court application, brought against Elections Canada, to prevent Rebate Double-Dipping which occurs when a political party collects both a GST rebate and an Elections Canada campaign rebate for the same expenses. The Conservative Party opposed Rebate Double-Dipping; Elections Canada defended it. This may be the first time in history that a political party went to court to try to give money back to Elections Canada. Mr. Justice H.J. Wilton-Siegel of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice accepted the Party's position.  Technically, this means that the Party's 2004 and 2006 election returns will now reflect the GST rebates it received.  Practically, this is good news for taxpayers who should not be burdened with supporting political parties twice for the same expenditure.

That… Minister Baird and Minister of State Merrifield announced new safety and security measures for Canadian airports. We were reminded of the ruthless nature of terrorism this past Christmas Day when a terrorist incident occurred on a flight from Amsterdam to Detroit. Our government is purchasing 44 full body scanners to enhance security at Canadian airports.  The scanners will be deployed in major Canadian airports beginning this month. The technology used in the scanners has been proven safe and they have received approval from the Privacy Commissioner of Canada. With the new measures announced today, our government is ensuring that Canadian officials have the tools they need to protect the safety and security of air travellers. In order to balance safety and security with safeguards to the privacy of Canadians, travellers will have the option to use the full body scanners as an alternative to a physical search, which will speed up the screening process.  For more information please visit: http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/mediaroom/releases-2010-h002e-5794.htm

That… Minister Baird announced that our government will begin a cross-country tour, meeting with Canadians as we enter Phase II of Canada’s Economic Action Plan and leading up to the next Throne Speech. Our priority will be to continue the rapid implementation of the Economic Action Plan and rolling out remaining stimulus projects across the country.  Over the course of the next few weeks, Prime Minister Harper, Minister Flaherty, a number of other Ministers and myself will be meeting with and hearing from Canadian families, homeowners, workers, business-owners and industries from across the country about how best to meet our goals for Phase II of Canada’s Economic Action Plan. Our government’s objectives have remained consistent throughout: fully implementing the Economic Action Plan; returning the federal budget to balance once the economy has recovered; and building the economy of the future.  For more information on how to participate please visit: http://www.fin.gc.ca/n08/09-114-eng.asp