Did You Know...? - Edition 19

November 27, 2009

That… Minister Flaherty highlighted the success to date that Canada’s Economic Action Plan is having in helping our economy and creating jobs for Canadians, as well as laying the groundwork for the next year. The central focus of Budget 2010, year two of Canada’s Economic Action will continue to stimulate our economy, help create jobs for Canadians and provide assistance for those affected by the recent economic downturn. The Plan will not undertake major new spending initiatives. Rather, stay on course with the measures already announced to protect and create jobs, including the stimulus measures in the Economic Action Plan. Once the global recovery is secure, we will start the return to balanced budgets, a return that will not rely on hiking taxes, slashing benefits to Canadians, or downloading on the provinces, but rather responsible financial management.

That… Statistics Canada released preliminary results of Employment Insurance (EI) statistics for September 2009.  The statistics show an increase of 54,250 compared with August 2009. This is the first monthly increase following two monthly decreases in a row.  Canada's Economic Action Plan is helping workers and their families get through the global economic downturn. We are providing an extra 5 weeks of EI regular benefits which has helped over 365,000 Canadian while they search for new employment. We have enhanced the work-sharing program which is protecting the jobs of over 165,000 Canadians. Unprecedented investments in training are helping Canadians receive the skills training they need to enter a new career. We have frozen EI premiums for 2 years which helps employers to maintain and create jobs and lets workers keep more of their hard-earned money when they need it most. An additional $60 million investment was injected in the Targeted Initiative for Older Workers to help older workers who have invaluable knowledge and mentoring potential transition into a new job. We have also made improvements to the EI system in addition to those included in our Economic Action Plan. We have recently passed legislation to provide 5 to 20 additional weeks of EI support to long-tenured workers who have worked hard and paid-premiums for years while they transition into a new job. We have recently introduced legislation to provide self-employed Canadians access to EI special benefits on a voluntary basis for the first time in Canadian history so they no longer have to choose between their family and work responsibilities. Our Conservative Government has taken concrete actions to help Canadians families weather the global economic downturn.
                                                        
That… The Honourable Rob Nicholson, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, and the Honourable Christian Paradis, Minister of Public Works and Government Services, announced the introduction of legislation to assist in the fight against sexual exploitation of children by requiring suppliers of internet services to report internet child pornography. This legislation is the next step in our government’s efforts to help fight the sexual exploitation of children. The bill would require suppliers of internet services to report to a designated agency the tips they receive from the public. It would also require suppliers of Internet services to notify police and safeguard evidence if they believe a child pornography offence has been committed using an internet service they provide. At the moment such actions are voluntary.  The bill would set graduated fines for failure to comply. A mandatory reporting regime across Canada will strengthen our ability to protect our children from sexual predators.  It will help police to rescue these young victims and to prosecute the criminals responsible.  For more information, check: http://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/news-nouv/nr-cp/2009/doc_32455.html

That… In  2010, it will have been 65 years ago that the Netherlands were liberated by allied troops. The National Committee Thank You Canada & Allied Forces (NCTYCAF) assumed that 2005 was the last year that allied veterans came to Holland on a large scale from Canada, The United Kingdom, Poland, France and the USA. We were proven wrong. Every year veterans are still visiting our country in groups or individually. NCTYCAF expects that in 2010 many veterans will visit Holland for the very last time, and will therefore, for the very last time, organize commemorations and festivities featuring the liberation of the Netherlands 65 years ago, because it will be the last time that we can thank and honour our liberators. The commemorations and festivities will take part in the period between Thursday, April 29 and Monday, May 10, 2010. For more information, check www.tycaf.nl

That… Minister Van Loan and Mr. Daniel Petit announced legislation amending the International Transfer of Offenders Act. Our government is taking the next step in making protection of society the paramount principle of our federal corrections system. Criminals serving time in other countries can apply for a transfer back to Canada to serve their sentences here. These amendments would establish additional factors to consider in deciding whether to grant such requests. These factors would allow the Minister of Public Safety greater discretion to deny such requests, for example, if in the Minister’s opinion the offender would endanger public safety, continue to engage in criminal activities, or endanger the safety of any child (in cases of offenders convicted of a sexual offence involving a child), as well as whether the offender has been participating in rehabilitation and cooperating with law enforcement. Canadians want to know their communities are safe from serious violent criminals. For  more information, check: http://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/media/nr/2009/nr20091126-eng.aspx?rss=false
           
For further information, please contact: The office of Ted Menzies at (613) 995-8471