Did you know...? - Edition 25

January 22, 2010

That… Ted Menzies presented 400 organic apples to the students of West Meadow Elementary School in Claresholm, AB. The apples were presented to Menzies by the Canadian Health Food Association (CHFA) local representative Jo-Anne Wilson of Nanton. The CHFA selected five Members of Parliament across Canada and presented them with 400 Canadian-grown apples to donate to a worthy cause in their riding.

That… The Government remains committed to a more democratic, accountable and effective Senate. We remain committed to limiting the tenure of new senators to one term of eight years.
All new senators have pledged their support for the Government’s policy on Senate reform, including our legislation to limit Senate terms to eight years, which we introduced in May 2009.

That… Ted Menzies, on behalf of Natural Resources Minister Lisa Raitt, along with Basil Stewart, President of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), announced $2,200,000 in Green Municipal Fund (GMF) grant and loan contributions to the Town of Vulcan to help create a subdivision heated with renewable fuels. Vulcan’s 63-acre Healy subdivision, on the southern boundary of the current residential neighborhood, is a community differentiated by being heated with renewable fuels through a district energy system enabling the use of both wood biomass and thermal solar collectors. When completed, the development will consist of 300 units in a mix of multi-family apartments and detached homes, low-cost housing and senior-oriented housing.
That… The Honourable Stockwell Day, Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway, announced that officials from Canada and the European Union met in Brussels for a second round of negotiations toward a comprehensive economic and trade agreement. Significant progress was achieved in the first round of negotiations (October 2009) in areas such as goods and services, government procurement, regulatory cooperation and dispute settlement. Canada and the EU have agreed to a very ambitious schedule for negotiations, including three additional rounds planned for Fall 2010. Canada’s exports of goods and services to the EU reached nearly $32.9 billion in the first three quarters of 2009. Imports of goods and services from the EU were close to $39.7 billion in the same period.

That… Minister Shea met with Chinese officials in Beijing to discuss trade opportunities for Canada’s sealing industry. This trip demonstrates our government’s commitment to Canada’s sealing industry. Canadian sealers, processors, artisans and Inuit produce some of the finest quality products in the world. China is our second largest trading partner and China is the world's largest consumer of fish and seafood. It is a market that represents great prospects for Canadian processors and great potential for our exports. Our government is taking strong action to improve trade and market opportunity with respect to seals and other Canadian seafood products. For Canada, sealing is about more than fur.  The trade of other seal products such as oils and meat represents a growing share of what is already a multi-million dollar business. Our Government will continue to help expand markets at home and abroad.
That… Our Government is investing in clean energy technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve the environment and build the foundation for sustainable economic growth. Minister Raitt announced 19 projects under the Action Plan’s Clean Energy Fund.  Funding of up to $147 million will support the demonstration of renewable energy and clean energy across the country. These innovative projects will help bring Canada to the forefront of clean energy technology, while creating high-quality jobs for Canadians. The Economic Action Plan includes new measures totalling almost $2.4 billion to support a cleaner and more sustainable environment and help meet Canada's climate change objectives.

That…  Minister Ambrose and Minister Paradis encouraged 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. As we enter into Phase II of Canada’s Economic Action Plan, our Conservative government’s priority will be to continue the rapid and effective implementation of the remaining stimulus projects across the country, introduce plans to restore balanced budgets once the economy is fully recovered and continue to build a strong foundation for our economic future.