Harold Albrecht

[Income Tax Act, March 30th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I listened closely to the member as she was indicating the basic objective of the bill. If I understood her correctly, she said it is to attract young people, graduates, to regions that are economically depressed. It proposes that there be tax credits to settle in an area that is exceptionally inadequate. It seems to me that the basic problem with the bill is that the list of regions that it labels as economically depressed is based on a nearly 30 year old piece of legislation that is called the Regional Development Incentives Act.

The bill actually labels an area like Saskatchewan, which currently has one of the lowest unemployment rates in Canada, as economically depressed, while an area like Windsor or even where I come from, the Waterloo region, where the unemployment rate has risen dramatically in the last number of months, is not considered to be in any condition of distress or in her words would be fine economically. To me, that seems rather bizarre. I wonder if the member would like to comment on that.

Finally, has she or will she submit the bill to the Parliamentary Budget Officer for costing and analysis, and then, will she share those findings with the House?

[Industry, March 26th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, we are all sensitive to the job losses occurring across Canada, but I am hearing from companies in my riding that are hiring. Could the Minister of Industry please tell us if he has any examples of Canadian companies that are in fact expanding?

[Budget Implementation Act, 2009, February 11th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I listened with interest to the member's comments and I understand his concern for people who are facing tough economic times and challenges.

I would like to point out that many of the initiatives in our budget address the issues he was talking about: $1.5 billion over two years for training programs; $55 million over two years for youth employment; $60 million over three years for the targeted initiative for older workers; and $40 million that will go to the $2,000 apprenticeship completion grant. These are really important initiatives for Canadians in these tough times.

I would like to ask the member how he and his party could actually vote against something that will help Canadians through these times.

[Hockeyville, February 11th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, today I congratulate my constituents in the township of Woolwich. Woolwich was selected as a top five finalist in the 2009 Kraft Hockeyville competition this past Saturday. Woolwich has the spirit, passion and pride required to be a serious contender in this national competition.

This enthusiastic bid to become Canada's top hockey community is spearheaded by Graham Snyder. I thank Graham for the thousands of hours he and his team have invested. I thank him as well for his heroic efforts in bringing our community together to raise over $5 million toward the construction of the Dan Snyder Memorial Arena.

Dan Snyder is one star among many that Woolwich has produced. Members may recall other NHL stars, like Daryl Sittler and Rod Seiling, who are proud to call Woolwich their home.

Our community has a love for hockey, from the young to the young at heart, from the pond to the arena. I am honoured to stand beside the parents, grandparents, coaches, players and referees who make Woolwich Hockeyville.

All Canadians will soon learn what my constituents already know. Woolwich is Hockeyville.

[Budget Implementation Act, 2009, February 10th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I listened with interest to the member opposite. One of the points he made in his speech was that there was nothing in here for science and technology. I want to remind the member that this budget includes a great investment for science and technology: $750 million to the Canada Foundation for Innovation.

I have had the privilege of being on site where some of these projects are funded and seeing the good work they do. This is great news in our budget.

There is also $50 million to the Institute for Quantum Computing; another $1 billion for clean energy research, development and demonstration projects; and $87 million over two years for Arctic research.

I would like the member to indicate how he can say there is nothing in here for science and technology.

[Infrastructure, February 6th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the member for Parkdale—High Park identified a list of projects from the building Canada fund and claimed that an inordinate number of them were in Conservative ridings.

Could the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities please inform the House of the significant commitments our government has made in infrastructure from coast to coast to coast?

[The Budget, January 30th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, the member noted in his remarks the challenges facing the forestry industry. I would like to point out that there are all kinds of initiatives in the budget that are targeted toward helping the forestry industry.

As well, there are EI benefits that will help retrain individuals and provide funding for those who would not normally qualify for EI benefits, those who may have been out of work for prolonged periods of time.

However, as it relates to the forestry sector, let me point out some of the initiatives that our budget includes. We are supporting the forestry sector with $80 million over two years for the transformative technologies program. It is important that the money we invest not just simply go toward continuing to do business as we have always done it, but that it go toward investing in technologies that will make all of our industries more competitive and more efficient. That is why we have extended the capital cost allowance for all manufacturing and these kinds of industries.

I would return a question back to my colleague. How can he not support many of these initiatives that we have put in for the forestry sector which will clearly help the forestry sector through this difficult time?

[The Budget, January 30th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, that was a pretty long list and I am not sure I will be able to cover all of her questions.

In our budget consultations in my riding of Kitchener--Conestoga, we met with many of the mayors who represent the Waterloo region. Each mayor was very confident that as we sit together and work in partnership, as I said earlier, we will be able to meet the challenges in front of us.

As it relates to the timing of this, all of us in this chamber know that for the budget to be implemented it needs to be voted upon by members in the House to give it support. I thank the member opposite for indicating that her party will be supporting it.

[The Budget, January 30th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak to the economic action plan presented by our government on January 27.

Before I begin, Mr. Speaker, I would like to indicate that I will be splitting my time with the member for Peterborough.

I would like to take a moment in my first speech in the 40th Parliament to thank the people of Kitchener—Conestoga for their continued faith in me and sending me back to Ottawa to represent them. I would also like to thank my wife, Betty, and our children, Gavin, Benj and Arja, as well as their families. I am incredibly blessed and could not do what I am doing here without their love and sacrifice.

This afternoon I speak on behalf of the residents of Kitchener—Conestoga. As was mentioned earlier this week by my colleague, the hon. member for Kitchener—Waterloo, we undertook, along with the hon. member for Kitchener Centre, a series of round tables with community leaders. From local governments to non-government organizations, from local businesses to multinational corporations, from agriculture to engineering to recycling, a diverse group shared its views. Each of them brought forward very valuable ideas as to what they felt were the most crucial economic issues needing our attention.

Participants were unanimous that expedited infrastructure spending, investments in housing, access to credit, support for new and traditional industrial sectors and building sustainable labour markets were the most credible choices to provide stimulus. There was some divergence over the relative priorities within that list. Municipal government representatives focused their conversations on the importance of infrastructure renewal and an expedited process for approving projects as a means to inject stimulus. Business leaders focused on the tightening of credit as a threat to Canadian business and jobs.

The sessions were remarkable for the lack of tunnel vision participants brought to the table. There was near uniform agreement that in the Canadian economy a balance of all these priorities must be found.

There was significant conversation regarding what should be included in the umbrella term “infrastructure” for funding purposes. Beyond the traditional roads, bridges and crossings, there was broad support for the inclusion of other necessary investments, including green energy initiatives and broadband access for rural areas.

A report from these prebudget consultations was then compiled and presented to the Minister of Finance. It is very obvious that our finance minister was listening because many of the suggestions that we received from these participants have been reflected in this government's economic action plan. Let me say that this plan presented by our Minister of Finance on Tuesday has been received very well in my constituency.

I am happy to say that my Waterloo region colleagues and I were not the only ones to engage Canadians in consultations regarding the unique challenge facing Canada's economy. The budget that we debate today is the result of the most comprehensive and inclusive prebudget consultations in Canadian history. I would like to extend my congratulations and thanks to the Minister of Finance and his parliamentary secretary, the member for Macleod, for their continued fine work and leadership on behalf of all Canadians.

Canada is being hard hit by a global recession that started in the United States. Businesses in my riding are being impacted negatively, manufacturing job losses have increased, and the demand for EI benefits and retraining opportunities have increased.

Our economic action plan addresses the need for extended EI benefits and enhancing the availability of training opportunities for those who have lost jobs.

By extending the work-sharing agreements by 14 weeks, more Canadians will be able to continue working. The $1.8 billion directed toward increasing the availability of training opportunities will go a long way toward addressing the needs of many who have lost jobs in sectors which are very unlikely to ever return to the levels of employment opportunity they once experienced.

The strategic training and transition fund would support the needs of individuals who do not qualify for EI training, such as the self-employed or those who have been out of work for a prolonged period of time.

Other initiatives such as those targeting student summer jobs and the initiative for older workers will address specific demographics of those affected by this economic downturn.

The apprenticeship completion grant of $2,000 will help to address the critical need for skilled labour, a problem which will only get worse unless young Canadians are encouraged to enter these worthy professions, and community colleges are equipped to train them.

That brings me to the commitment of our government to provide $2 billion for the acceleration of new projects at our post-secondary institutions. Mr. John Tibbits, the president of Conestoga College, has been persistent in his call for greater emphasis on skilled trades training. Mr. Tibbits has the honour of being the leader of a college that for 9 of the last 10 years has been named the number one publicly-funded college in Ontario.

Mr. Tibbits had the following to say about our economic action plan, “We're very pleased with the Federal Budget. Our Federal Members of Parliament have listened to our concerns through pre-budget briefings. The budget responds directly to those concerns”.

I am very proud to say that Conestoga College is situated in my riding of Kitchener—Conestoga.

One of the points I noted from our consultations was that, regardless of their sector, participants clearly recognized the long-standing need for municipal infrastructure renewal. This government understands that and will accelerate and expand recent historic investments in infrastructure with almost $12 billion in new infrastructure spending over five years. This provides Ontario with its share of $4.5 billion over two years for roads, bridges, buildings and broadband, and accelerates payments for infrastructure projects in Ontario.

I am happy that our government has provided more than $1 billion over five years for the southern Ontario development agency program to help workers, communities and businesses in the region. In fact, Stratford mayor, Dan Mathieson of the Southwest Economic Alliance, said, “This budget is good news for southwest Ontario. It is good news for our communities, for our citizens and for our economy”.

We have heard from many sectors that are giving their strong support to this play. The mayor of Kitchener said, “It is good news for the municipalities. That is probably an historic event in terms of the acknowledgement by the federal government that there is going to have to be a partnership as we deal with the infrastructure deficit that municipalities have been talking about for some time”.

Our government is doing the right thing by cutting taxes and improving access to capital for the financial system. Since coming to office the government has provided $78.3 billion in tax relief to the people and businesses of Ontario. Budget 2009 will provide an additional $9.1 billion in tax relief. We have also made $13 billion in additional financing available to crown corporations, such as CMHC, Export Development Canada and the Business Development Corporation, and increased their flexibility and capacity to provide capital to small business.

Our government will also provide Ontarians with $1.3 billion through a temporary home renovation tax credit which will provide meaningful tax relief to help Canadian homeowners make improvements to their property while promoting broad based economic activity.

There is an additional $407 million in support for first-time homebuyers through the $5,000 first time homebuyers tax credit to assist them with the costs associated with the purchase of their first home. The $5,000 increase of RRSP withdrawal limits will also assist first-time homebuyers in purchasing a home.

Budget 2009 also provides $225 million over three years to Industry Canada to develop and implement strategy on extending broadband coverage to communities that are not currently served, beginning in 2009. Canada is one of the most connected nations in the world with the highest broadband connection rate among the G7 countries. However, there are still gaps in access to broadband, particularly in rural and remote areas. Our government is committed to closing the broadband gap in Canada by encouraging development of rural broadband infrastructure. Much of my constituency is comprised of rural areas, some of which do not yet have access to broadband Internet.

I have heard concerns about this gap since my election and I was very pleased to see this addressed in this year's economic action plan.

Another provision which brings great benefit to the Waterloo region is the $50 million grant to the Institute for Quantum Computing. The institute is a world leader in research and teaching in the field of quantum information, a discipline that opens opportunities for the development of new technologies and opportunities for the creation of jobs.

Canadians sent the Conservative Party, led by our Prime Minister, to Ottawa with a strengthened mandate to steer this country through a worldwide economic crisis. They did so knowing that this is a government that is not afraid to make hard choices and it is not afraid to lead by example.

This economic action plan is what we need in these uncertain times. For all of us who have been sent here to represent our constituents in the House of Commons, we can never forget that we are here to represent those who have entrusted us with the serious responsibility to examine the issues and then to make the right choices.

It is my sincere belief that the budget represents the best possible plan to lead Canada through the troubled waters of the economic storm and that as we work together as a nation we will emerge even stronger than we are today.

May God keep Canada glorious and free.

[The Budget, January 30th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, my colleague across the floor indicated something to the effect that the government did not believe in science.

One of the obligations we have as members of Parliament is to reflect accurately what is in the budget proposal. It seems to me, from the comments that were made, that perhaps the member has not read the budget.

I would like to read a few excerpts from the budget, on page 138 and 139:

Dedicating up to $2 billion to repair, retrofit and expand facilities at post-secondary institutions.

Providing $750 million for leading-edge research infrastructure through the Canada Foundation for Innovation.

Providing $50 million to the Institute for Quantum Computing in Waterloo...

Allocating $87 million over the next two years to maintain or upgrade key Arctic research facilities.

Providing $250 million over two years to address deferred maintenance at federal laboratories.

It seems very clear to me that the government is very committed to research and innovation. Could the member explain how he could make a statement like he did in his earlier remarks.