Mr. Speaker, with pride and humility today, I would like to thank the citizens of Prince Edward—Hastings for the overwhelming support they have given me in returning me to the House for the fourth time.
I am so privileged and proud to be able to speak on this budget today, a budget that I find has not only overwhelming support across this nation, but such positive attributes for Canadians. The reason is very clear and simple. This budget is about one thing. This budget is about people. It is about the couple on the main street, running its own business. It is about the students who are attending college or university, trying to further their career prospects. It about the seniors who have contributed to their community all their lives. It is about the manufacturers. It is about the farmers. It is about the foresters. It is about consumers. It is about families. Yes, it is about real people.
The constituents of my riding of Prince Edward—Hastings represent many walks of life. This budget benefits them as it benefits people from across this nation.
This is the budget that strikes the critical balance in focusing on the economy, on the jobs and on the growth, while also delivering on the everyday needs of Canadians.
More important, this is the budget that follows up on our commitments, that mirrors our election promises and that effectively does what we said we would do.
This budget, prepared for the 41st Parliament, builds further upon the next phase of Canada's economic action plan.
This government will support job creation by helping businesses and entrepreneurs succeed, keeping taxes low, investing in projects of national importance and in maintaining Canada's brand as one of the best places in which to invest and live in the world.
The next phase of the action plan advances these priorities by providing a temporary hiring credit for small businesses to encourage additional hiring by the vital sector. Having had a successful career as a small business owner myself, who over the years employed hundreds of citizens, I can tell members from personal experience how important this incentive is for job creation.
As well, we will extend the work-sharing program, the target initiative for older workers, to help Canadians stay in the workforce. We will support extending the temporary accelerated capital cost allowance treatment for investment in manufacturing or processing machinery and equipment for another two years. Locally, hundreds of small businesses in my riding to larger companies like Kellogg's or Procter & Gamble have all made significant capital investment and the resultant jobs have been, and will continue to be, created as a result of this magnificent and most effective tax credit.
We will legislate a permanent annual investment of $2 billion in the gas tax fund for municipalities.
As a former municipal councillor and deputy reeve, I know how important predictable and dedicated funding is for effective infrastructure planning.
We will invest to promote innovation in Canada's important agriculture, forestry and mining sectors.
As promised during my campaign, and I certainly thank the finance minister, I am pleased to keep our commitment of $20 million over two years to extend the tremendously successful eastern Ontario development program.
This government will support families and communities so all Canadians can enjoy a high standard of living and our communities can stay vibrant and safe.
The next phase of our action plan is to invest in these goals by enhancing the guaranteed income supplement for those seniors who rely almost exclusively on their old age security and the GIS and who may be at risk of experiencing financial difficulties. This measure will provide a new top-up benefit of $600 per year for single seniors and $840 per year for couples. This measure represents an investment of more than $300 million per year and will improve the financial security of more than 680,000 seniors across Canada.
In my riding of Prince Edward—Hastings, we now have the second highest concentration of seniors in Ontario as well as a significantly lower rural income base. I can assure members that the support of our seniors for this initiative is overwhelming.
We will attract more health care workers to underserviced remote and rural areas by forgiving up to $400,000 of the federal component of Canada student loans for new family physicians and up to $20,000 for nurse practitioners and nurses.
We will introduce a new $2,000 family caregiver tax credit amount that will provide tax relief to caregivers of infirm dependent relatives including, for the first time, spouses, common-law partners and minor children. In many rural ridings such as mine, we have a severe shortage of senior care facilities. Initiatives such as this will certainly go a long way to provide much-needed assistance.
We will also introduce a new children's arts tax credit of up to $500 per child of eligible fees associated with children's artistic, cultural, recreational and developmental activities.
We will introduce a $3,000 volunteer firefighter tax credit for volunteer firefighters who perform at least 200 hours of service in their communities. In my riding of Prince Edward—Hastings and in many similar ridings in rural Canada, the communities are serviced by dedicated volunteer firefighters. This measure demonstrates very clearly our gratitude, our support and our appreciation.
We will provide nearly $870 million over two years to address climate change and air quality, including the extension of the eco-energy retrofit homes program that will help homeowners make their homes more energy efficient and reduce the burden of high energy costs.
This government will promote research and leading-edge technologies by providing $80 million in new funding over three years through the industrial research assistance program to help small and medium-sized businesses accelerate their adoption of key information and communication technologies through collaborative projects with colleges and colleagues. Across the country, and certainly in my riding, we have experienced and benefited from tremendous co-operation among these innovators, the entrepreneurs and our colleges. Across the country, the progression of the knowledge economy is absolutely crucial to our competitiveness.
We will establish 10 new Canada excellence research chairs, some of which will be active in fields relevant to Canada's digital economy strategy.
We will increase the budgets of all three federal granting councils by $47 million annually, including support for indirect costs.
We will improve commercialization and supporting demonstration of new technologies in the marketplace by supporting research links among colleges, universities and businesses.
We will enhance and expand Canada student loans and grants for part-time as well as full-time post-secondary students.
We will encourage skills certification by making all occupational, trade and professional examination fees eligible for tax relief.
Finally and importantly, this government will balance the budget. We will deliver more than $500 million in new ongoing savings from the 2010 round of strategic reviews. We will protect the integrity and fairness of the Canadian tax system by closing tax loopholes. We will launch a comprehensive one-year strategic and operating review of departmental spending across all of government in 2011-2012.
One simply has to listen to the numerous positive accolades for this budget from across the country. Positive comments have flowed from individuals, groups, organizations, municipalities, provinces, labour, management, professionals, small businesses, manufacturers, scientists, educators, students, seniors and parents.
As I said in my opening comment, this budget is about people. It is about where we are and where we are going as a nation. It looks out for the most vulnerable and yet, very importantly, it looks ahead. I am proud and excited to be a member of this government going forward with this budget that will preserve Canada's advantage in the global economy; strengthen the financial security of Canadian workers, seniors and families; and provide the stability necessary to secure our recovery in this uncertain world.