Mr. Speaker, I am proud to rise on this important occasion to relate my thoughts on the Speech from the Throne. However, before I do that I want to thank the people of Perth—Middlesex who have given me the great honour to serve in this place for another term.
I would also like to congratulate you, Mr. Speaker, on your appointment.
I would like to speak today about how the Liberal government has set forth a bold plan to lead the country into the next millennium, a plan that will benefit Canadians and the people of Perth—Middlesex. The Speech from the Throne has demonstrated our government's vision and leadership and the people from Perth—Middlesex will be pleased about our initiatives in four key areas that impact on them.
Our government's continued commitment to young Canadians, to innovation, to trade and rural development are the cornerstones to ensure a strong and prosperous future for the riding of Perth—Middlesex.
This government's primary focus since taking office was to restore the hope to those who lost it during the early part of this decade, especially young Canadians. Our government will continue to give young people the hope for the future through programs targeted at youth.
Our plan for an improved student loans program will make it easier for young Canadians to gain the skills and knowledge essential to succeed. In 1994 we announced that we would put in an additional $2.5 billion over five years into Canadian student loans. More than $1 billion in Canada student loans helped about 300,000 Canadian students go to college or university this year. That level of commitment is continuing. This is welcome news for students in my riding.
Last week the prime minister announced the additional $1 billion for a millennium scholarship fund to help young Canadians prepare to take their place in continuing to shape the greatness of this land. We also increased loan limits by more than 50 percent and brought about more flexible repayment rules.
We have brought in new measures to ease access to higher education. We have doubled the education credit and extended the tuition credit. The federal-provincial tax assistance to a typical student will rise from $900 a year to $1,200 a year in 1998. That is progress for young Canadians.
We have also doubled the annual limit of contributions to the RESPs to $4,000 so that young families can put more money aside for their children's future.
When fully implemented we will increase federal assistance to post-secondary education by $275 million a year alone. This will be welcomed by families in my riding. In the past three months we saw gains of 52,000 jobs for young Canadians, but it is not enough. Finding work these days remains a challenge for young Canadians.
Our government introduced Youth Service Canada and the youth internship program in 1994 to help, and it will continue with these programs. Earlier this year we announced the new youth employment strategy that builds on more than $2 billion in new and existing funding for these programs. These programs provide opportunities for youth and people who need to find work and build careers in the new economy.
This month we went further by committing $90 million to create a public service youth internship program to complement the other internship programs in science, trade, First Nations, non-profit and private sectors. We will remain committed to those needed programs.
We have continued funding for summer jobs up to $120 million this year which meant an additional 30,000 jobs for students.
The student connections program brings together young people and new technologies. Student connections is employing 2,000 students from places like Fanshawe College for over three years to help small business get connected on the Internet.
In a similar way, hundreds of young people are getting experience in working with the new technologies through employment with community access programs and SchoolNet. These two programs are working to connect 5,000 rural communities like the ones in Perth—Middlesex plus all of Canada's schools and libraries to the Internet by 1998. Affordable Internet access is particularly important to a rural community where improved communications links will open up new opportunities for job creation, trade and economic growth.
In 1994 the Liberal government saw the SchoolNet's potential. We raised SchoolNet's funding to $13 million a year as part of our strategy for building an innovative economy. The SchoolNet is turning out to be an ideal learning tool. Recently scientists and engineers from around the world were brought together with teachers and students through an on line discussion news group. That is the 21st century in action.
We have also raised the funding for SchoolNet's companion program. Community access was originally meant to connect 1,000 rural communities on the Internet. Our increased funding will mean that 5,000 rural and remote communities across Canada can benefit from the economic and learning potential of the information highway. That is the 21st century infrastructure.
Our government's visionary science and technology strategy has created partnerships with the private sector to develop and bring advanced technology to the market. Technology partnerships Canada has a $250 million investment fund where the federal government and the private sector finance leading edge technologies that fuel job creation and economic growth.
Another key science and technology initiative is the Canada foundation for innovation. Announced in the 1997 budget with funding of over $800 million for the next five years, the foundation will invest $180 million a year in labs and equipment in Canadian universities and research hospitals. Canada's young scientists need this equipment to do innovative research, the source of future job growth.
Investments in science and technology increase Canada's productivity and competitiveness which fuel export growth and promote job creation at home. The progressive strategy of combining youth, government and the private sector is working.
In Perth—Middlesex we will see this partnership produce three transmission towers that will lay the infrastructure for our rural communities to gain access to the Internet, and our students will be employed to help our farmers get on the net. That is the 21st century partnership.
Canada and Perth—Middlesex rely on trade for their prosperity. The value of Canadian exports accounts for nearly 40 percent of our gross domestic product.
Canadian exports have soared under the Liberal government and in 1996 the value of Canadian exports exceeded the imports by $34 billion, a record high. As many as 11,000 jobs in Canada are supported by every billion dollars in existing exports. Between 5,000 and 8,000 jobs are created by every additional billion dollars that Canadians export in goods and services. That is why the prime minister will lead Team Canada on trade missions, including one to Latin America in January 1998. The four missions to date have resulted in more than $20 billion for Canadian businesses and thousands of new jobs for Canadians.
I am hard at work recruiting many of the local businesses in Perth—Middlesex to participate because what is good for Canadian trade is better for Perth—Middlesex trade because that is the 21st century commerce.
In a similar way, our government has led important initiatives in agriculture. Canadians may not know that 9 percent of our country's economic input and 50 percent of all employment is involved in that sector, but the people of Perth—Middlesex do.
Canadians may not know that the domestic market is $95 billion and exports over $20 billion, but the people of Perth—Middlesex do. That is why we have not forgotten the farmers. That is why we have set forth initiatives like the family farm loan program introduced in the fall of 1994. This program makes it easier for retiring farmers to hand the family farm down to the next generation without jeopardizing their own security and retirement.
We have established a $140 million Canadian adaptation and rural development strategy to assist farmers and farm organizations by funding research to develop farming and crop technology. The agriculture adaptation council has committed $3.96 million for 108 research components plus a trace cost sector commitment of $660,000. For example, the Ontario soya bean growers marketing board received $387,000 for 17 projects for the corn producers too. It goes on and on.
Our opponents have not offered anything more than cuts to the programs for farmers. It is clear that our government is heading into the next century with vision and action, not words of derision. The Leader of the Opposition in his speech often quoted one of my political heroes, Wilfrid Laurier, but by doing so was able to betray this great statesman by carefully selecting words to bolster his weak arguments. The Leader of the Opposition is fueling fear and hate through his espousing an extreme Canada that is anti-bilingual, anti-multicultural, anti-rural, anti-immigrant, disunited, weak and Americanized.
I remind him of the following words spoken by Sir Wilfrid Laurier in 1903: “Canada has been the inspiration of my life. I have had before me a pillar of fire by night and a pillar of cloud by day, the policy of true Canadianism, of moderation and conciliation. In all the difficulties, all the pains and all the vicissitudes of our situation, let us remember that love is better than hatred and faith better than doubt. Let hope in our future destinies be the pillar of fire to guide us in our future”.