Lisa Raitt

[The Economy, December 3rd, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, as I have said many times in this House, we understand that these are very difficult times, which is why we are putting money into the community development trust. This will help those people who are suffering at this point in time.

However, I find it ironic that the member is only interested in listening to his constituents when it is for the purposes of sustaining the separatist coalition and when it comes to actually listening for the purposes, on a topic as fundamental as giving the separatists a veto on national--

[The Economy, December 2nd, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, as I indicated, the government put $1 billion into the community development trust. In fact, the premier of Nova Scotia said that he welcomed the money and he looked forward to this being a good first step in helping communities and businesses deal with the recent economic upheaval. That was on January 11, 2008. We acted quickly. We acted decisively. We continue to stand up for Canadians.

[The Economy, December 2nd, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, the fact is this government recognized last year that there was an injection needed into the community development trust, and put $1 billion into the trust in order to help those affected.

I have to say that the socialist-separatist coalition's concern today is quite self-serving and does nothing more than to indicate there is an attack on Canada, an attack on democracy. It is time for Canada to be stood up for and that is what we are going to do.

[Forestry Industry, December 1st, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, the fact is the province of British Columbia received $129 million to ensure that the forestry workers and the people within B.C. had the ability to deal with transition in these very tough times, there is no question about it.

What is really economically damaging is the coalition between the Liberals and the NDP with the veto held by the Bloc. That is economically damaging.

[Forestry Industry, December 1st, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, a year ago the government acted decisively, introducing the community development trust, a $1 billion trust fund that was put in place in recognition of the global economic uncertainty and also in recognition of the need for transition for skills development and to help other workers.

That is what we did. We continue to do so. We continue to work on the program and we continue to ensure we serve Canadians and serve them well.

[Forestry Industry, November 27th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, as we indicated before, we have a comprehensive plan on dealing with this situation. We are very concerned. We understand the effect that closures of mills has on communities. That is why we are investing in innovation and we are expanding market opportunities. As well, we are cutting corporate taxes in order to make our mills more competitive.

John Allan, the president of the Council of Forest Industries, said that the deal in retrospect was a good thing and that anyone who pointed to the lumber agreement as part of their problems was—

[Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply, November 27th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, as I said before, we truly understand that workers and their families in the forestry community are facing challenging times. We know that when a mill closes, it affects every corner of the community.

In the Speech from the Throne we have committed to helping this industry by investing in innovation and creating market opportunities.

We understand the anxiety that communities are facing. However, our government has been ahead of the curve and we have a comprehensive plan to ensure the long-term success of the industry.

We are investing in innovation to make the mills more competitive. We are supporting the market development to create the opportunities for people to sell into other markets. We are reducing corporate taxes to keep the jobs in Canada.

We are also supporting the environmental leadership shown by Canadian companies in this industry and we are ensuring adequate credit remains available for Canadian business.

Finally, we have launched a rail review to ensure our products can get to the market.

[Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply, November 27th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, when we commenced on the election campaign at the beginning of September and when we went door-to-door, one thing Canadians told us, and very vocally, was the fact that they were concerned about oil and gas prices. The concern at the time, of course, was that the prices were so high and people wondered how they could afford to put gas in their cars.

As we went along in the election, it became clear that with the expected downturn, the economic global uncertainty and with gas prices going down, the volatility of the issue was of concern to Canadians.

Our government strongly believes we need to secure our energy future in order to ensure we have long-term economic growth. We take our responsibility as an emerging super-power in energy very seriously.

In the Speech from the Throne we laid out our intention to ensure that 90% of Canada's electricity would be produced by non-emitting sources such as hydro, nuclear, clean coal or wind power by 2020. We know we need to meet the challenges associated with climate change.

In the Speech from the Throne we also laid out our commitment to ensure that Canada's regulatory framework would be ready to respond should the provinces choose to advance new nuclear projects.

We are looking at the electricity situation. More specifically, we are also taking a look at ensuring our vast natural energy resources keep providing an important source of wealth and jobs for Canadians.

As well, it is important to note that protecting Canadian consumers is a top priority of the government.

[Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply, November 27th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time today with the member for Vancouver Island North.

It is a real honour to rise today to represent the people of Halton in this great place. I want to begin by thanking them for the profound trust and confidence that they have placed in me as a member of Parliament. It is a very humbling experience to know that so many friends and neighbours are counting on me to represent them here in Ottawa. They deserve strong representation in this House and I pledge to them that I will work tirelessly every day to deliver it.

I specifically want to thank the number of volunteers that I had during the election campaign who brought a lot of vigour and a lot of excitement to a hard-fought battle. Anyone who has stood in this place before knows that they would not be here but for the support of loved ones and family.

I am blessed to have grown up in Cape Breton Island, but I have chosen to make my home in Halton and that is where I raised my children. I would like to thank my family in Cape Breton and my former neighbours, teachers, employers and everyone who has extended their support and their congratulations, specifically, the Frasers, the Maccormacks, the Starzomskis, the McNeils and the Schmids.

In Halton, I have to thank my family. I thank my husband, Dave, for all his support. Without him I know I would not be here today serving the people of Halton and our great country. I thank my sons, John Colin and Billy, for being patient, for being good boys, and for watching this today.

It is really hard being away from family and loved ones, but our families and our communities are the reason why we choose to serve our country in this way. We want to ensure that our children have the same great opportunities that we had and that Canada tomorrow is stronger and more prosperous than it is today. Like all members of this House, I recognize the privilege and the responsibility we assume as members of Parliament, and that includes the responsibility to lead.

As it has been demonstrated again in the Speech from the Throne, this government understands responsibility. Thanks to the leadership and prudent management of this government, Canada can face today's global economic uncertainties from a position of strength.

Natural resources have always been an important part of Canada's economic equation and going forward they will be key drivers of growth. These vital industries employ some 900,000 Canadians, generate close to 13% of our gross domestic product and contributed $100 billion to Canada's trade surplus last year, yet in the face of this current economic downturn, simply having a wealth of natural resources is not enough.

We need to transform our resources into a more value-added product to keep high quality jobs here in Canada. We need to spark innovation and increase productivity. We need to do these in order to strengthen Canada's competitiveness.

Competitiveness goes hand in hand with securing a diverse and growing supply of energy and a balanced approach to tackling climate change. That is why positioning Canada as a clean energy superpower is important. We will therefore work with Canadians to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from industry in a balanced, sensible and achievable manner. We will work with Canadians to implement a North American cap and trade system with our partners. We will work with Canadians to encourage targeted investments in the most promising clean technologies, such as wind, solar, geothermal, small hydro, and carbon capture and storage.

We will work with Canadians to increase energy efficiency. We will work with Canadians to expand the production and use of renewable and alternative energy. We will create a clean electricity task force to help ensure that 90% of our electricity comes from non-emitting sources by 2020. Nuclear energy will play an important role in how we reconcile a growing demand for energy with the need to tackle climate change. Continued leadership on our nuclear priorities will further enhance Canada's energy security and help position Canada's nuclear industry for success at home and abroad.

At home, our government will ensure that our regulatory framework is ready to respond should the provinces choose to advance new nuclear projects.

Effective and efficient regulations for large resource projects are critical for Canada's competitiveness and environmental leadership. Through initiatives such as the Major Projects Management Office, or MPMO, we are improving Canada's regulatory system.

Ensuring a more effective approach for northern research projects, including pipelines, is a critical next step. This is all about promoting responsible development of the Arctic and asserting Canada's sovereignty. Our commitment to support Arctic research reinforces these objectives.

Sound regulation is also essential in our mining sector as it faces greater competition and lower commodity prices. Finding new resources and developing and implementing the technologies that will allow them to be extracted in ways that are both cost effective and environmentally effective will require significant effort.

Our government is committed to working with the mining sector to further enhance Canada's already strong investment climate. We are delivering on our commitment to provide $100 million over five years to the geomapping for energy and minerals program to seek out new resources. We are committed to extending the super flow-through share incentive for mining exploration.

Our government is equally committed to a healthy forest sector, which is so important to so many communities and Canadians across this country. From natural disasters such as the mountain pine beetle infestation in the west and a sharp downturn in the U.S. market, to a volatile currency and shifting market preferences, our forest industry is facing serious challenges. We will work with the industry as it goes through this period of restructuring.

We will continue to support its efforts to create new products, convert mills to biomass and expand our markets overseas. Our $1 billion community development trust is helping resource communities diversity their economic bases.

Canada's natural resources belong to all Canadians. The Government of Canada is committed to ensuring that Canadians gain the maximum benefits from these resources. This requires that attention be given to immediate pressures arising from the current economic downturn as well as longer term challenges posed by a highly competitive global marketplace.

That is precisely what the government is doing. We will continue to work with Canadians to ensure that our resource sectors are positioned to emerge from today's global downturn stronger, cleaner and more prosperous.

[Forestry Industry, November 26th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, I have to admit this is the most I have been up and down in a long time and I am enjoying the exercise in the House today.

In terms of how the programs that the government introduced have been responded to and have been received, I can say that the mayor of Port Alberni in British Columbia had the following to say this October about funding available through the community development trust:

We are really pleased to be receiving these funds. This will put some of the laid-off forest industry workers in our community to work at a good wage--

This applies to all regions of Canada. This applies to all workers. These programs are there to help the people of Canada and we are delivering them.