Did you know...? - Edition 69

December 03, 2010

Did You Know That… The Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Canada’s Health Minister announced new regulations for lead and surface coatings to better protect Canadian children and families. With changing and expanding markets, your Government sees the need for tough regulations to guarantee that importers, manufacturers and retailers know that Canada is serious about protecting the safety of our children and families.  New, tough regulations for lead, limited to 90 miligrams per kilogram, make Canada a world leader in lead reduction for consumer product safety. This will improve the safety of baby bottle tops and crib surfaces.   In addition, new amendments to regulations that affect consumer paint and the surface coating materials of toys, children’s furniture and artists’ pencils and brushes will also help keep our kids safe while playing.   Above and beyond this announcement, we look forward to your Government’s Consumer Product Safety Act, Bill C-36, being passed. When it becomes law, it will change the landscape of product safety in Canada.  For more information:  http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ahc-asc/media/nr-cp/_2010/2010_203-eng.php

Did You Know That…  Statistics Canada reported that Canada's economy grew 1 per cent in the third quarter of 2010.  As your Government has said all along, the global recovery remains fragile. That is why jobs and the economy are your government's number-one priority.  Canada's Economic Action Plan is keeping our recovery on track.    Canada's economy has grown for the past five straight quarters and since July of last year, nearly 430,000 net new jobs have been created.   Indeed, the Wall Street Journal praised Canada, saying “the country has pulled through the downturn in better shape than most of its peers, with the healthiest banking system and strongest economic recovery in the Group of Seven.”  While the recovery remains fragile, it is no surprise that groups such as the Canadian Chamber of Commerce are warning that any plan to raise taxes is a “disastrous idea” that will “put the brakes on job growth" and is "the wrong thing to do if you want to create jobs and growth in the economy.”   For more information: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/101130/dq101130a-eng.htm

Did You Know That…  The Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Canada’s Health Minister announced new regulations to protect infants in their cribs, cradles and bassinets through the Hazardous Products Act. Your Government is committed to helping parents keep their kids healthy and safe. Canada’s requirements for cribs and cradles are already among the most stringent in the world. However, we can make them safer.  Stand alone bassinets are currently not regulated in Canada. This has to change.  That is why your Government introduced new regulations to further strengthen the safety requirements for cribs, cradles, and bassinets.   These new regulations will target construction, flammability, side height and pinching hazards.  Toeholds that could enable a young child to climb out of a crib and fall to the floor causing risk of injury will be removed. These new regulations will make the cribs, cradles and bassinets sold in Canada even safer.  For more information:  http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ahc-asc/media/nr-cp/_2010/2010_212-eng.php

Did You Know That… Prime Minister Stephen Harper highlighted the success of Canada’s Economic Action plan in creating jobs and economic growth during the global recession.  The Prime Minister was joined at the announcement by Chuck Strahl, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities; and Tony Clement, Minister of Industry.  Canada’s Economic Action Plan is working and your Government expects that nearly 90 per cent of infrastructure projects will be done by the ambitious deadline that we set out.  Since July 2009, more than 420,000 net new jobs have been created across Canada and about 23,000 projects are underway or completed.  The Government has provided $16 billion to modernize public infrastructure, including roads, bridges, water, parks, transit and recreational facilities.  While the vast majority of infrastructure projects are expected to be completed by the ambitious two-year deadline (March 31, 2011) set out by the Government, a small percentage of projects have been delayed for a variety of reasons.  This is why we have extended the deadline for completion of Economic Action Plan infrastructure projects by one full construction season, to October 31, 2011.  This will allow sufficient time for completion of the remaining projects.  The one-time extension is expected to allow sufficient time for virtually all the remaining projects to be completed, at no additional cost to the Federal Government. In order to qualify for this extension, work must have begun on the project and it must have incurred eligible costs before March 31, 2011.  The extension applies to projects funded under the Infrastructure Stimulus Fund, the Building Canada Fund Communities Component Top-Up, the Recreational Infrastructure Canada Program or the Knowledge Infrastructure Program.   For more information:  http://www.buildingcanada-chantierscanada.gc.ca/creating-creation/ext-pro-eng.html

Did You Know That… Statistics Canada reported that 15,200 new jobs were created in November, as the unemployment rate fell to 7.6 per cent.  November’s job growth shows yet again that Canada's Economic Action Plan is creating jobs and keeping our recovery on track.  Canada's economy has grown for the past five straight quarters, and since July of last year Canada has created over 441,000 new jobs.  However, as we have said all along, the global recovery remains fragile.  That is why jobs and the economy remain our top priority as we continue to implement our job-creating, low-tax plan.  For more information:  http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/101203/dq101203a-eng.htm