Did You Know...? - Edition 12

October 09, 2009

That… Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced that Their Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall will visit 12 cities and communities in four provinces across Canada from November 2 to November 12, 2009. The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall will visit Newfoundland and Labrador, including stops in St. John’s, Cupids, and Brigus.  They will spend time in Ontario, where they will take part in events in Toronto, Hamilton, Niagara-on-the Lake, Petawawa, and Ottawa.  In British Columbia, they will undertake a range of engagements in Victoria and Vancouver.  They will also visit Quebec, making stops in Gatineau and Montréal.

That… The Frequently Asked Questions on the Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS)’s H1N1 web page have been updated: http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/h1n1/index-eng.asp These FAQs address many human resources-related questions pertaining to the H1N1 flu virus.  Please share this link and/or link to the Qs&As as appropriate.

That… Minister of State Kent was in Honduras this week with a delegation from the Organization of American States (OAS), working to achieve a peaceful, negotiated solution to the dispute there. Under the Prime Minister’s leadership, Canada has re-engaged in the Americas. We now have a strong voice throughout the Western Hemisphere, a voice which was conspicuously absent under the past government. Throughout the tensions in Honduras, Minister of State Kent has been on top of the file. The world knows that it can count on Canada to speak up for democratic values and principles. To quote the Secretary General of the OAS José Miguel Insulza: “It is critically important for all of us that Canada has a constructive voice during our deliberations.”

That… The Government is focused on what matters to Canadians – helping those hardest hit, investing in training and creating jobs. Our Economic Action Plan is working. We have added an additional 5 weeks of EI benefits – 300,000 Canadians have benefitted. Work-sharing measures have protected the jobs of 165,000 Canadians. We have invested in training to get Canadians back to work, whether they qualify for EI or not, helping 150,000 workers. We froze EI premiums for 2 years. Employers keep more money to create more jobs, while Canadians keep more of their hard-earned money. We have also added an additional $60 M to help older workers because they have invaluable knowledge and experience to contribute to the workplace.

That… Jim Flaherty was named Finance Minister of the Year by Euromoney magazine. At a presentation in Istanbul, Turkey, following his participation in the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank, the Honourable Jim Flaherty was presented Euromoney magazine's Finance Minister of the Year award for 2009. In announcing the award, Euromoney noted that Canada's strong policy response to the global economic crisis has contributed to its heightened reputation on the global stage.  For more information, http://www.fin.gc.ca/n08/09-096-eng.asp Euromoney Article: http://www.euromoney.com/Article/2297318/Category/17/ChannelPage/0/Finance-minister-of-the-year-Jim-Flaherty-Canada.html

That… The Government of Canada is standing up for Canadian producers by launching a World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute settlement process over U.S. mandatory country-of-origin labelling (COOL). The Honourable Stockwell Day, Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway, and the Honourable Gerry Ritz, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, announced their request for a WTO panel. “The U.S. COOL requirements are so onerous that they affect the ability of our cattle and hog exporters to compete fairly in the U.S. market,” said Minister Day. “That is why our Government has no other choice than to request a WTO panel. This request demonstrates our ongoing commitment to resolving this issue and defending the interests of Canadian producers.”  COOL is a mandatory labelling measure in the United States that requires retailers to notify customers of the country of origin of meat and other agricultural products.  These provisions impose unfair and unnecessary costs on integrated North American supply chains, which in turn reduce competitiveness in both Canada and the U.S.  This has created confusion and uncertainty for livestock industries on both sides of the border. Canada initially requested WTO consultations with the U.S. on COOL in December 2008. On June 5 2009, Canada held a further round of consultations with the United States on COOL. These consultations did not resolve the issue. The U.S. and Canada are each other's largest agricultural trading partners. In 2008, bilateral agricultural trade totalled approximately $37 billion. Reducing obstacles to trade has contributed to mutually beneficial supply chains, making both countries more competitive domestically and internationally.

That… Our Conservative government is working with the provinces and the private sector to develop clean energy technologies that will dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions and generate high-quality jobs for Canadians. The most viable emission-reducing technology for oil sands and coal-fired electricity plants is carbon capture and storage. We are backing up our support for carbon capture and storage with substantial investments. Our Clean Energy Fund is investing $1-billion over five years, as part of Canada’s Economic Action Plan.  It will advance Canada’s leadership on clean energy technologies and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from energy production.

That… Liberal Senators gutted Bill C-25, a key piece of anti-crime legislation that seeks to end the practice of reducing criminals’ sentences at a 2 for 1 ratio for time served in pre-trial custody (For example, if a criminal is sentenced to a 6 year sentence, but was in jail for 2 years awaiting trial, he would serve only 2 years following his conviction and sentencing – 2 years for a 6 year sentence!).
An amendment that continues the practice of 2 for 1 sentencing was passed. Bill C-25 was passed unanimously by the House of Commons, and is supported by provincial justice ministers from all parties, as well as victims’ groups and police associations. Canadians have been clear that they want criminals’ sentences to reflect the crime.

That… Statistics Canada reported on Friday that employment in Canada increased by 30,600 in September, considerably better than market expectations. This helped lower the unemployment rate by 0.3 percentage points from 8.7% to 8.4%. This is the second straight month of employment gains.  In August, 27,100 jobs were created.  The increase of 30,600 jobs in September was fuelled by full-time positions. By comparison, 263,000 jobs were lost in the United States in September and unemployment jumped to 9.8%.  For the first time in over a generation, Canada has an unemployment rate that is over one percentage point lower than the U.S. rate. Employment increased in most provinces in September with the largest gains recorded in British Columbia (+14,000), followed by Ontario (+12,600). We have made steady progress, but there is still more to do since the recovery remains fragile and employment will not improve as quickly as the economy.