“Canada’s entrepreneurs are the backbone of our economy, creating jobs and driving long-term economic growth in communities large and small across our country,” said Mr. Harper. “It is important that government create the conditions for Canadian entrepreneurs to flourish and grow.”

A re-elected Stephen Harper Government will spur a culture shift within government by legislating a ‘one-for-one’ rule, so that government must eliminate an existing regulation every time it proposes a new one. The success of the small- and medium-sized business sector contributes greatly to the economic and social success of Canada; however, 26 per cent of small business owners say they may not have gone into business had they known the true burden of regulation.

Stephen Harper’s Government has taken decisive action to address the needs and concerns of entrepreneurs in the last five years, including reducing taxes and red tape; improving access to business financing; making substantial investments in training, research, and development; and opening up new markets. Building upon Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s declaration of 2011 as the Year of the Entrepreneur, a re-elected Conservative Government will further support Canadian businesses by:

• Moving forward with the Red Tape Reduction Commission, which will apply a small business lens to regulations to ensure that they do not have unintended impacts on small businesses.

• Introducing a $1,000 Employment Insurance tax credit for any new employees hired by a small business.

• Extending BizPal, an online service for businesses that provides streamlined, customized one-stop shopping for information on required permits and licences.

• Providing $20 million over two years for the Canada Youth Business Foundation, enabling young Canadians to launch more than 1,000 new businesses and generate an estimated 6,700 new jobs.

“As Canada emerges from a worldwide economic recession and government economic stimulus winds down, it is essential for Canadian businesses and entrepreneurs to drive our economic recovery,” said Mr. Harper. “The Next Phase of Canada’s Economic Action Plan will allow Canadian businesses do exactly that by giving them support, and will help spur the culture shift within government that they need to grow and create jobs.”

Mr. Harper also noted that the Ignatieff Liberal, NDP, Bloc Québécois plan to raise taxes on business would deal a harsh blow to Canada’s economic recovery, resulting in the loss of thousands of Canadian jobs. “The high-tax agenda shared by the Ignatieff Liberals, the NDP and Bloc Québécois will kill jobs, stall our economic recovery and jeopardize the financial security of hard-working Canadian entrepreneurs and families.”

BACKGROUNDER

THE ISSUE

Small- and medium-sized businesses account for 98 per cent of all businesses in Canada.  Through innovation and ingenuity, small business owners and entrepreneurs create jobs and generate wealth in communities across Canada.  As the economic recovery takes hold and the stimulus program winds down, it will be critical for Canadian businesses to grow and create additional jobs.

Stephen Harper’s Government has consulted closely with business stakeholders and has taken decisive action to address barriers faced by entrepreneurs, including reducing taxes and red tape, improving access to business financing, supporting training and research, and opening up new markets.  Among other things, the Stephen Harper Government has:

• Reduced the federal income tax rate for small businesses.

• Increased the amount of income small businesses can claim under the lower tax rate.

• Eliminated the federal capital tax and the corporate surtax to encourage businesses to invest, expand and hire more workers.

As a result, among major advanced economies, Canada now has the lowest overall tax rate on new business income, while under the prior Liberal government we had one of the highest.  Our Conservative Government has also:

• Provided funding for the Canada Business Network and the Canadian Youth Business Foundation to support and promote youth entrepreneurship.

• Increased the maximum eligible loan a small business can receive under the Canada Small Business Financing Program from $250,000 to $350,000, and $500,000 for loans made for acquiring real property — the first increase in over 15 years.

• Extended the Work-Sharing Program to 78 weeks so many small businesses can avoid having to lay off their workers during the global recession.

• Established a new private sector Advisory Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship to provide advice on how to further improve business access to federal programs and information.

• Created a new $40-million Small and Medium-sized Enterprise Innovation Commercialization Program, so that government departments can demonstrate new products developed by small- and medium-sized companies.

As the economy recovers, it is important that small businesses are able to expand and hire new workers so they can take advantage of emerging opportunities, compete in a global economy, and create more jobs for Canadians.

THE PLAN

Stephen Harper’s Government has declared 2011 the Year of the Entrepreneur in order to help increase public awareness of the important role played by small business.  Small businesses are a key part of Canada’s economy, and we agree with the Canadian Federation of Independent Business that “small businesses are indispensable in their role as job creators and innovators all across Canada.”

Building on the low-tax plan implemented by Stephen Harper’s Government since 2006, the 2011 Budget, the Next Phase of Canada’s Economic Action Plan, took additional important steps to help small businesses and entrepreneurs grow and create jobs by reducing red tape and making it easier for small enterprises to do business.

A re-elected Stephen Harper Government will implement the measures contained in Budget 2011, the Next Phase of Canada’s Economic Action Plan, which was rejected by Mr. Ignatieff and his Coalition partners, the NDP and Bloc Québécois, to further support small businesses and entrepreneurs, including:

• Creating a new $1,000 Hiring Credit for Small Business to encourage small businesses to hire additional workers. This credit will be available to approximately 525,000 employers, reducing their 2011 payroll costs by about $165 million.

• Extending permanent support for BizPal, an online service for businesses that provides streamlined, customized one-stop shopping for information on permits and licences that are required by the federal, provincial and municipal governments.

• Consulting with small businesses on how the EI rate-setting mechanism can be improved in order to ensure more stable, predictable rates.

• Building on the Government’s success in fulfilling its Budget 2007 commitment to reduce the paperwork burden on Canadian businesses by 20 per cent, we are moving forward with the new Red Tape Reduction Commission to (i) review federal regulations, (ii) reduce the cost of compliance for small businesses and (iii) identify additional measures to reduce obstacles to job creation.

• Providing written tax advice to queries from small business clients, and reviewing the penalty structure for late filing of information returns with particular regard to its impact on small business.

• Expanding the Industrial Research Assistance Program linking colleges with small- and medium-sized businesses.

• Extending the Work-Sharing Program for an additional 16 weeks so small businesses can keep their employees as the economy recovers. 

• Providing $20 million over two years to enable the Canadian Youth Business Foundation to continue its important support for young entrepreneurs.  Since its creation, the Foundation has helped young Canadians to start more than 4,000 businesses, creating close to 18,000 new jobs.

And a re-elected Stephen Harper Government will also spur a culture shift within government by legislating a ‘one-for-one’ rule, so that government must eliminate an existing regulation every time it proposes a new one.  The rule will be designed to maintain the highest standards in all areas, including health, safety and environmental protection, while promoting a culture shift in government in favour of the needs of Canadian small businesses.

THE CHOICE

Canadians have a choice between Stephen Harper’s low-tax plan to help small businesses create new jobs for Canadians, and an Ignatieff-led Coalition with the NDP and Bloc Québécois, which has a high-tax agenda that will kill jobs and harm small employers.

Michael Ignatieff and the NDP and Bloc Québécois are forcing this election — our fourth in seven years — because they want to seize power at any price.  The Conservative plan is about helping Canadians: helping Canadians secure good stable jobs, helping Canadians achieve financial security and helping Canada secure its economic recovery.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced today that a re-elected Conservative Government will focus immediately on implementing four key priorities for Canadians.

These priorities are:

1. Our low-tax plan for jobs and economic growth to complete the recovery and protect and create jobs now.
2. Our low-tax plan for families that focuses on supporting Canadian seniors by enhancing the Guaranteed Income Supplement and cracking down on elder abuse.
3. Our low-tax plan to eliminate the deficit while protecting Canada’s universal health-care system by maintaining 6 per cent annual increases in federal transfers to the provinces and territories.
4. To bundle and pass within Parliament’s first 100 days the key crime reduction bills that the Ignatieff-led Coalition has obstructed.

“These four areas — implementing our low-tax plan to complete the economic recovery and create jobs, keeping taxes down on families and supporting and protecting Canada’s seniors, eliminating the deficit while helping the provinces and territories strengthen health care services, and keeping communities safe while holding criminals accountable — are shared priorities of Canadians and the Conservative Party,” the Prime Minister said. “A re-elected Conservative Government will deliver real benefits in these areas that are affordable without raising taxes on Canadian businesses or families.”

Now is not the time for instability, or for reckless, opportunistic experiments. The global economy remains fragile and Canadians remain concerned about their jobs, their communities and their children’s future. Stephen Harper has a plan to meet these challenges — a plan that is working — and we need to stay the course.

“Canadians face a clear choice in this election between, on one hand, the opportunistic and reckless Michael Ignatieff-led Coalition, with its high-tax agenda that would stall our recovery, kill jobs and set hard-working families back; and, on the other hand, principled leadership and stable national Government with our low-tax plan for jobs and growth,” Prime Minister Harper observed. “Conservatives are Here for Canada — a Canada strong and free, a country of opportunity for all, proud of its history and confident of its future. We ask Canadians to support and join us in taking the next steps forward in building this great country for our children and grandchildren.”

BACKGROUNDER

THE ISSUE

• Since coming to office in 2006, Stephen Harper’s Government has been focused on the priorities of Canadians.

• Our Conservative Government has lowered taxes on job-creating businesses, invested in training and education, kept taxes down on families and supported Canadian seniors, reduced the deficit while increasing support for health care, and stood up for victims and their families.

• In these critical areas, we have a strong record of delivering real benefits. Among other things, we have:
  • Cut taxes nearly 120 times on businesses, families and individuals.[1]
  • Supported research and innovation through initiatives like the $2-billion Knowledge Infrastructure Program.
  • Invested in job training and support for workers through programs like the Targeted Initiative for Older Workers.
  • Established the Canada Student Grants Program to help low-income and disabled students attend post-secondary institutions.
  • Lowered taxes on the average Canadian family by more than $3,000 per year.
  • Established the Universal Child Care Benefit, providing $1,200 per year, per child, to support all parents and to respect their right to choose the form of child care that is best for their family.
  • Created the Children’s Fitness Tax Credit, a $500 credit per child, to help cover the costs of putting children in sports or physical activities.
  • Lowered taxes on Canadian seniors, including introducing income sharing for pensioners, resulting in 85,000 seniors being removed from the tax rolls entirely.
  • Increased funding for the New Horizons for Seniors Program, which supports projects led or inspired by seniors that promote volunteerism, mentorship and social participation by seniors.
  • Reduced the federal deficit by 25 per cent in 2010-11. It is projected to shrink by almost 25 per cent again in 2011-12 and be eliminated altogether in 2014-15.
  • Made new investments in medical research and training, including the Canadian Partnership against Cancer, the Canada Gairdner International Awards to recognize important contributions to medical research, the Heart and Stroke Foundation Centre for Stroke Recovery and further support for Alzheimer’s disease research;
  • Increased health transfers to the provinces by more than 30 per cent since taking office in 2006.
  • Passed justice legislation to toughen sentencing and bail for serious gun crimes; abolished the faint-hope clause that allowed early parole for murders; cracked down on street racing and drug-impaired driving; strengthened measures to protect children from online sexual exploitation; ended the practice of giving 2-for-1 credit for time served in pre-trial custody; ended the practice of granting early parole to white-collar criminals and other similar offenders; and ensured tougher sentences for fraud to help fight white-collar crime.
  • Established the National Anti-Drug Strategy to help prevent illicit drug use and to support access to treatment for those with drug dependencies.
  • Funded the Youth Gang Prevention Fund, providing support for successful community programs to help at-risk youth to avoid involvement in gangs and criminal activity.

• These four areas —– implementing our low-tax plan to complete our economic recovery and protect and create jobs now, keeping taxes down on Canadian families and supporting and protecting Canada’s seniors, eliminating the deficit while helping the provinces and territories strengthen health care services, and keeping communities safe while holding criminals accountable — are shared priorities of Canadians and the Conservative Party.

• We have delivered in all four areas.

• And a re-elected Stephen Harper Government will continue to deliver on them.

THE PLAN

• A re-elected Conservative Government will focus on four key priorities.

1) Our Low-Tax Plan for Jobs and Economic Growth

• Stephen Harper’s steady economic leadership is steering the country through the worst global recession since the 1930s.

• Canada’s Economic Action Plan is helping the country emerge from the global recession as one of the world’s top-performing advanced economies.

• But there is more to be done. The global recovery remains fragile.

• That’s why last month, the Minister of Finance tabled the Next Phase of Canada’s Economic Action Plan — a low-tax plan for jobs and growth — to complete the recovery, create jobs now and lay a strong foundation for long-term economic growth.

• Our budget includes prudent, low-tax measures to help small businesses hire new employees; incentives to encourage manufacturers to invest in new machinery; extension of the Work-Sharing program to protect Canadian jobs; a loan program to help new Canadians get their foreign credentials recognized in Canada; and support for research and development, including commercialization initiatives between businesses, colleges, and universities.

• The Next Phase of Canada’s Economic Action Plan received praise from a diverse group of stakeholders, ranging from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and even the Canadian Labour Congress.

• However, the Ignatieff-led Coalition, backed by the NDP and the Bloc Québécois, opportunistically opposed our budget, choosing instead to force this unnecessary election.

• A re-elected Conservative Government will implement our low-tax plan for jobs and economic growth to complete the recovery and protect and create jobs now.

• And we will do this without raising taxes.

2) Our Low-Tax Plan for Families and Canada’s Seniors

• Stephen Harper’s Government has a strong record of lowering taxes on Canadian families and supporting our seniors.

• A re-elected Conservative Government will continue to keep taxes down for Canadian families so that they can keep more of their hard-earned money to spend according to their own needs and priorities. As a result of Stephen Harper’s low-tax plan, the average Canadian family is already paying $3,000 less in federal taxes each and every year.

• We will follow the same low-tax approach to help Canada’s seniors by:

• Increasing the Guaranteed Income Supplement for the poorest and most vulnerable seniors, providing an additional annual benefit of up to $600 for single seniors and $840 for couples. This measure represents an investment of more than $300 million per year, and will further improve the financial security and well-being of more than 680,000 seniors across Canada. It also represents the single biggest increase to the Guaranteed Income Supplement in over 25 years.

• Establishing a new Family Caregiver Tax Credit to help families cover the cost of caring for a sick or aging relative.

• Providing an additional $10 million over two years for the New Horizons for Seniors Program in order to keep seniors active in their communities and raise awareness of important issues such as elder abuse.

• Amending section 718.2 of the Criminal Code to add vulnerability due to age to the list of aggravating factors to be considered by courts when sentencing criminals who commit offences against seniors.

• These important measures will ensure that families get to keep more of their hard-earned money and that seniors are able to live in comfort and dignity.

• And we will do this without raising taxes.

3) Our Low-Tax Plan to Eliminate the Deficit While Protecting Canada’s Health-Care System

• Stephen Harper has a plan to eliminate the federal deficit without raising taxes or reducing transfer payments to the provinces and territories for health care, education and other social services.

• Our plan is working. We have significantly reduced the deficit while maintaining record high transfer payments to the provinces.[2]

• We are on track to eliminate the deficit by 2014-15. Unlike the previous Liberal Government, we are doing so by finding efficiencies in government, not cutting health-care transfers.

• Stephen Harper’s Government has kept its commitment to provide long-term, predictable health care funding to provinces and territories.

• Since taking office in 2006, our Conservative Government has increased the Canada Health Transfer by over 30 per cent.

• This stands in stark contrast with the record of the previous Liberal Government. They have a dismal record, cutting transfers to the provinces by $25 billion, or nearly 30 per cent, in the 1990s.

• Our stable, predictable funding has given the provinces and territories the growing resources with which to address their health care system needs.

• Our approach respects the provincial jurisdiction over health care, and is starting to show real results.

• The latest evidence shows improved wait times in a number of priority areas and the largest yearly increase in new doctors since the 1980s.[3]

• A re-elected Conservative Government will build on our strong record of protecting Canada’s universal health-care system by increasing funding for health care by 6 per cent per year and making sure that Canadians see better treatment from the new money.

• Maintaining our funding at record levels will ensure that all Canadians have access to high-quality health care regardless of their ability to pay.

• And we will do this without raising taxes.

4) Keeping Canada’s Communities and Streets Safe

• Stephen Harper’s Government has succeeded in passing a number of important new laws to tackle crime. But the Ignatieff-NDP-Bloc Québécois Coalition has fought us every step of the way. As a result, many urgently-needed measures have been blocked or delayed in Parliament for years.

• Prior to this unnecessary election, we were attempting to pass other pieces of legislation to protect society and hold criminals accountable, including bills to:
  • Crack down on organized drug crime.
  • End house arrest for serious and violent criminals.
  • Eliminate pardons for serious criminals.
  • Establish tougher sentences and mandatory jail time for sexual offences against children.
  • Strengthen the handling of violent and repeat young offenders (Sébastien’s Law).
  • Give law enforcement and national security agencies up-to-date tools to fight crime in today’s high-tech telecommunications environment.
  • Put public safety first, when considering requests to transfer prisoners back to Canada.
  • Give police and courts the tools they need to investigate and prevent acts of terrorism.
  • Allow victims of terrorism to sue perpetrators and supporters of terrorism in Canadian courts.
  • Streamline long and complex trials to ensure justice is delivered swiftly.

• We believe that the justice and corrections systems must put victims and public safety first — and Canadians agree. But the Ignatieff-NDP-Bloc Québécois Coalition has obstructed these necessary reforms for the sake of their out-of-touch, soft-on-crime ideology that makes apologies for criminals.

• Enough is enough. A Stephen Harper-led majority Government will bundle the key crime reduction bills into comprehensive legislation, and pass them within the new Parliament’s first 100 days.

THE CHOICE

• These will be the priorities of a re-elected Conservative Government. Four priorities for Canada:

• Implementing our low-tax plan for jobs and economic growth to complete the recovery and protect and create jobs now.

• Keeping taxes down for Canadian families and providing support to Canada’s seniors by increasing the Guaranteed Income Supplement and cracking down on elder abuse.

• Eliminating the deficit while protecting Canada’s universal health-care system by increasing federal funding by 6 per cent per year.

• Keeping our communities and streets safe by passing our important justice legislation;

• All of these important initiatives are affordable and can be done without raising taxes.

• Michael Ignatieff and his Coalition partners, the NDP and the Bloc Québécois, have a fundamentally different agenda.

• An Ignatieff-led Coalition would lead to higher spending, higher taxes and instability for the economy and the country.

• They would increase taxes on businesses, families, students and workers.

• The choice for Canadians is clear: Stephen Harper’s low-tax plan for jobs and growth to complete the economic recovery, create jobs now and keep taxes down for Canadian families. Or Michael Ignatieff as Prime Minister, pursuing — with the support of the NDP and Bloc Québécois ­— a high-tax agenda that will stall the recovery, kill jobs and set back the financial security of Canadian families.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper today announced that a re-elected Conservative Government would introduce a new $500 Children’s Arts Tax Credit in its budget to help parents provide arts and cultural opportunities to their children.

“For many Canadian children, involvement in the arts is a big part of growing up,” said Mr. Harper. “Arts and cultural activities are important for Canada, so we want to help make it possible for children to experience them from a young age.”

In recognition that the costs of these activities can be a burden on household budgets, the new Children’s Arts Tax Credit will help parents with the costs associated with children’s artistic, cultural, recreational and developmental activities, including registration fees and lessons.

This initiative will build on the Stephen Harper Government’s low-tax plan for families and strong support for culture and the arts. Prime Minister Harper’s Government recognizes that arts and cultural activities enrich our lives immeasurably, as individuals, as communities and as a country. They express Canadian diversity and strengthen Canadian identity.

“Our goal is to allow Canadian parents to keep more of their hard-earned money in order to provide a wider range of educational experiences for their children,” said Mr. Harper. “Strong families help to build a strong Canada, now and in the future.”

Mr. Harper also noted that the new Children’s Arts Tax Credit was included in the Next Phase of Canada’s Economic Action Plan. The Ignatieff-led Coalition chose to reject that plan and opportunistically force an unnecessary election rather than working for the benefit of Canadian families.

BACKGROUNDER

THE ISSUE

Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s Government believes that Canada is made stronger by investments in our arts and cultural communities, and by measures that cut the tax burden of hard-working Canadian families.

Our low-tax plan helps parents keep more of their own hard-earned money in order to provide a wider range of experiences and opportunities for their families and their children. Stephen Harper’s Government has reduced the federal tax burden to its lowest level in 50 years, saving the average family of four almost $3,100 every year.

Tax credits for children’s activities are part of the Prime Minister Harper’s low-tax plan. In 2006, the Conservative Party promised to create a tax credit that would defray some of the costs parents incur as a result of their kids’ participation in organized physical activity. And we delivered later that same year, when our Conservative Government created the Children’s Fitness Tax Credit, allowing parents to claim a tax credit of up to $500 in eligible fees associated with children’s participation in physical activity. Almost 1.4 million Canadian families now benefit from the Children’s Fitness Tax Credit each year. Prime Minister Harper recently announced that a re-elected Conservative Government would double the Children’s Fitness Tax Credit to $1,000.

In the Next Phase of Canada’s Economic Action Plan, Budget 2011, the Conservative Government outlined our plan to broaden this assistance to Canadian families by creating a new tax credit for parents of children involved in artistic, cultural, recreational and developmental activities.

The Ignatieff-led Coalition, however, immediately rejected this measure, choosing to force an opportunistic election rather than working for the benefit of taxpayers, including families with children.

That is why Stephen Harper is reiterating our commitment that a re-elected Conservative Government will implement the Children’s Arts Tax Credit in its next budget. Not only will this provide tax relief to families and help them to provide more opportunities for their children, but it will send a positive signal to Canadians about the importance of arts and cultural activities in a child’s development.

This initiative will build on our Conservative Government’s strong support for culture and the arts, recognizing that arts and cultural activities enrich our lives immeasurably, as individuals, as communities and as a country. They express Canadian diversity and strengthen Canadian identity. Among other things, Stephen Harper’s Government has:

• Established two new national museums: the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 in Halifax, and the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg.

• Increased support for the Canada Council for the Arts by 20 per cent to its highest level in history.

• Increased funding for national arts training programs by 41 per cent since 2006, providing nearly twice as much support for young and emerging artists as the previous government.

• Created the Canada Media Fund to support Canadian television, film and digital media content.

• Provided stable funding, at record levels, for the Canada Book Fund, the Canada Music Fund and the Canada Periodical Fund to support the distribution of publications to Canadians and produce and create Canadian content for the digital era.

• Invested in cultural infrastructure across the country, including the Royal B.C. Museum in Victoria; the Quartier de Spectacles, home of the Montreal Jazz Festival; and the Confederation Centre for the Arts in Charlottetown.

• Provided substantial support for official language communities through our Roadmap for Linguistic Duality. And in recognition of his support for official languages, Prime Minister Stephen Harper was awarded the Francophonie’s highest international award.

And in the Next Phase of Canada’s Economic Plan — rejected by the Ignatieff-led Coalition — Stephen Harper’s Government also committed to providing the Royal Conservatory of Music with $7.5 million in funding to launch a national examination system in partnership with Carnegie Hall. The Royal Conservatory of Music is a not-for-profit organization that has provided music and arts education to millions of Canadians for almost 125 years.

THE PLAN

A Stephen Harper Conservative Government will amend the Income Tax Act to introduce a new Children’s Arts Tax Credit. It will provide a credit on up to $500 a year in eligible expenses towards a range of arts and cultural activities for children under age 16.

The credit will be available for a wide range of activities that contribute to a child’s development and are not eligible for the Children’s Fitness Tax Credit. To qualify for the Children’s Arts Tax Credit, a program must contribute to the development of creative skills or expertise in an arts-related or cultural activity. This would include literary, visual and performing arts; music; media; languages; customs and heritage.

Examples of eligible activities could include programs in art, crafts, drama, Girl Guides, Scouts, dance, languages, painting, photography, music lessons, pottery, public speaking, sewing and tutoring.

In other respects, eligibility will be based on criteria for the Children’s Fitness Tax Credit. That is, a program must be ongoing, supervised and suitable for children. Eligible costs include registration and membership fees for a program which is either a minimum of once a week for at least eight weeks’ duration or five consecutive days.

Children eligible for the Disability Tax Credit will be eligible for the Children’s Arts Tax Credit for an additional two years, to age 18, and an additional $500 per year.

Altogether, it is estimated that over two million children are currently involved in arts and cultural activities that will potentially be eligible for the credit, and will benefit from this new measure.

THE CHOICE

Canadians have a choice between Stephen Harper’s low-tax plan that includes responsible, targeted and affordable help for Canadian families, and the Ignatieff-led Coalition’s plan to raise taxes on all Canadians in order to pay for national daycare schemes and sports arenas for professional athletes.

Today, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced that a re-elected Conservative Government will create an Office of Religious Freedom to ensure that defending persecuted religious minorities is a priority of Canada’s foreign policy.

Speaking to a packed room and an enthusiastic and diverse crowd, Prime Minister Harper praised the courage of Canadians who have come here fleeing religious persecution, many of whom experienced violence and torture just to be able to profess their faith openly.

Prime Minister Harper remarked that “Canada is fortunate to have men and women of such courage as you. The spirit that you have shown in standing up for freedom in your own lives should inspire all Canadians.”

Harper said that Canadians are fortunate to live in a society where freedom of conscience does not carry the threat of persecution or violence. But he added that “while we are thankful to live in a country that spares us such tests, we must not let our comfort be an excuse to shirk our commitment to the cause of freedom. That is why I am pleased to announce that a re-elected Conservative government will create a special Office of Religious Freedom.”

Harper explained that the new Office of Religious Freedom, located within the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, would monitor religious freedom around the world, promote religious freedom as a key objective of Canadian foreign policy and advance policies and programs that support religious freedom around the world.

The Prime Minister invoked the memory of Shahbaz Bhatti, Pakistan’s late Minister of Minorities, who visited Mr. Harper in Ottawa shortly before he was gunned down for his outspoken defence of religious freedom.

Calling him a champion of freedom and an inspirational figure, the Prime Minister told the crowd that Minister Bhatti had “asked us in Canada to shine a light on the persecution of religious minorities in Pakistan and around the world.”

The Prime Minister said that the new Office of Religious Freedom will do just that: “it will call attention to the religiously persecuted and condemn their persecutors. It will signal to religious minorities everywhere that they have a friend in Canada.”

BACKGROUNDER

THE ISSUE

Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s Government is committed to promoting freedom of conscience and freedom of religion around the world.
On the issue of religious freedom, the Harper Government has:
Reached out to resettle Iraqis targeted as religious minorities, including recently announcing an extension of this program to 2013, by which time 20,000 Iraqi refugees will have been resettled in Canada.[1]
Denounced the attacks on Coptic Christians and their religious institutions in Egypt and called on the government to bring the perpetrators to justice.[2]
Spoken out against the persecution and imprisonment of members of the Baha’i community by the Iranian authorities.[3]
Offered to accept, on an emergency basis, the resettlement of 50 Montagnards, a persecuted Christian minority from Vietnam.[4]
Publicly condemned the use of blasphemy laws to harass, intimidate, arrest and sentence to death religious minorities.[5]
Called on the authorities to bring those responsible for the assassination of Pakistan Minister of Minorities Shahbaz Bhatti to justice. Bhatti was killed for his defence of religious freedom.[6]
Spoken out against the barbaric abuse and violence directed at the Ahmadiyya Muslim community in Pakistan.[7]
Led nations in walking out on anti-Semitic speeches in the United Nations and was the first country to boycott the international hate-filled Durban II conference.[8]
Established the Diefenbaker Award to honour individuals or groups who show exceptional courage and leadership in defending human rights and freedom.[9]
Religious persecution is a serious problem that affects many religious minorities around the world
Freedom of conscience and religion are the foundations of a free society. Freedom of conscience and religion are the first two freedoms affirmed by Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms. They are also protected by the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights.
Other countries have similar offices, or have otherwise made the promotion of religious freedom a key plank of their foreign policies, including:
Germany, where “Chancellor Merkel declared […] that protection of religious freedom is an important part of its foreign policy.”[10]
The United States, which has an Office of International Religious Freedom in the State Department, headed by an Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom.[11]
Italy, which “sees the promotion of religious freedom as a fundamental point, since this deals with a fundamental right of each human person.”[12]

THE PLAN

A re-elected Stephen Harper Government will create a new Office of Religious Freedom at the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, which will:
Monitor religious freedom around the world.
Promote religious freedom as a key objective of Canadian foreign policy.
Advance policies and programs that support religious freedom around the world.
A re-elected Harper Conservative Government will continue to ensure that Canada offers its protection to vulnerable religious minorities through our generous refugee resettlement programs.
A re-elected Harper Conservative Government will also ensure that the Canadian International Development Agency makes it a priority to work with groups that support vulnerable religious minorities.

THE CHOICE

Stephen Harper’s Government has a strong record of promoting religious freedom.
Some Ignatieff Liberals have already criticized the proposed Office of Religious Freedom.[13]
Canadians have a clear choice.
Canadians can choose between Stephen Harper’s pro-freedom plan, which recognizes and seeks to address the serious problem of religious persecution around the world, or the Ignatieff Liberals, who cannot agree on the importance of religious freedom and the urgency and seriousness of the problem.

Today, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced that a re-elected Conservative Government will ensure that every recreational hockey arena in Canada has a defibrillator, and will support training for attendants in using them.

“There’s nothing more Canadian than a hockey game at the local arena,” said Mr. Harper.  “It’s a great way to build friendships and communities, and it’s part of an active, healthy lifestyle.”

However, each year, approximately 40,000 Canadians suffer from sudden cardiac arrest, often when they are engaged in strenuous physical activity.  Sudden cardiac arrests strike people of all ages and various degrees of fitness, and often happen without warning.  Early CPR and defibrillation within the first three to five minutes after a cardiac arrest can dramatically improve survival rates of heart attack victims.

“Many lives are needlessly lost to sudden cardiac arrest, and our plan to install Automatic External Defibrillators in hockey arenas across the country will help address that,” said Mr. Harper.  “We will build upon the efforts of and continue to work with the Heart and Stroke Foundation, provincial governments and other stakeholders to make sure these lifesaving devices are available to as many Canadians as possible.”

Mr. Harper noted that nearly 3,000 defibrillators had been purchased for arenas and other public locations in the past five years, largely through the efforts of private charities, and that access to early CPR and defibrillation could potentially save the lives of 2,000 to 4,500 Canadian adults and children each year.

“This initiative is part of our plan to provide targeted and affordable benefits to Canadians across the country,” said Mr. Harper.  “By contrast, the Ignatieff-led Coalition’s high-tax high-spending agenda will stall Canada’s economic growth and limit our ability to make these critical investments in Canadian communities.”

BACKGROUNDER

THE ISSUE

Through the work of the Heart and Stroke Foundation, Don Cherry, and many others, Canadian arenas are increasingly acquiring defibrillators.  The Heart and Stroke Foundation has purchased nearly 3,000 defibrillators for arenas and other public locations in the past five years.[1] Their experience shows these investments can save lives.

Every year in Canada, 35,000-40,000 individuals die from sudden cardiac arrest before they reach a hospital.  Sudden cardiac arrest strikes people of all ages and various degrees of fitness, and usually happens without warning.  Many of these victims can be saved if other people are prepared to quickly phone 9-1-1, begin CPR and provide defibrillation within three minutes of collapse.  If the heart is not restarted within a few minutes, brain damage and, ultimately, death occur.  Of those people who experience sudden cardiac arrest outside of a hospital, fewer than 5 per cent survive to hospital as a result of delays in recognizing the cardiac emergency and obtaining access to appropriate care.

Research has demonstrated that early CPR and defibrillation are vital steps in reducing premature death from sudden cardiac arrest in Canada.[2] Early intervention is critical.  The survival rate from sudden cardiac arrest without CPR is zero.  And for every minute of delay in defibrillation, the survival rate of a cardiac arrest victim decreases by 7-10 per cent.

Early CPR and defibrillation within the first 3-5 minutes after collapse, plus early advanced care, can result in high long-term survival rates.  These rates can range from 50-80 per cent.[3] In Canada, this could mean saving the lives of 2,000-4,500 adults and children each year.

To help increase survival rates among victims of sudden cardiac arrest, the Heart and Stroke Foundation has advocated for the placement of Automated External Defibrillators (AED) in public or private places where large numbers of people gather, including sports and recreation facilities.  Cardiac arrests often occur in places where Canadians are engaged in strenuous physical activity.  CPR keeps the blood circulating to keep vital organs alive, but it takes defibrillation with an AED to resuscitate someone out of a cardiac arrest.

The AED is a computerized medical device that can check a person’s heart rhythm.  It can recognize an abnormal ventricular fibrillation rhythm that requires a defibrillation shock and advise the rescuer to deliver the shock if needed.  The AED uses voice prompts, lights and text messages to walk the rescuer through the necessary steps.

AEDs are very accurate and easy to use.  With a few hours of education, anyone can learn to operate an AED safely.[4] People who are responsible for operating an AED should also receive CPR training, since early CPR is an integral part of providing lifesaving aid to people suffering from sudden cardiac arrest.

THE PLAN

A re-elected Conservative Government will help cover the cost of putting a life-saving defibrillator in every hockey arena in Canada that does not have one, and we will support training for attendants in using them.

The average cost of a defibrillator is approximately $1,500 to $2,000.[5] We will partner with the Heart and Stroke Foundation, provincial governments and other stakeholders to purchase defibrillators for those arenas that currently do not have one.

We have provisioned $10 million over four years beginning in 2012-13 to fulfill this commitment, and we anticipate that we can leverage our funding to purchase thousands of defibrillators per year.

THE CHOICE

This proposal is an excellent example of affordable steps that can be taken to demonstrably improve the health of Canadians.

Canadians have a choice between Stephen Harper’s low-tax plan that provides responsible, affordable benefits to Canadians, or a high-tax high-spending agenda from the Ignatieff-led Coalition that will stall Canada’s economic growth and leave us without the ability to make these critical investments in Canadian communities.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper today announced that a re-elected Conservative Government would follow through on its Budget commitment to strengthen its support for Canadian seniors by increasing the monthly Guaranteed Income Supplement for low-income seniors.

“Canada’s seniors helped build this country for future generations,” said Harper. “Our seniors deserve a secure and dignified retirement that recognizes the contributions they have made.”

The Next Phase of Canada’s Economic Action Plan outlines the Conservative plan to top up the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) for the most vulnerable seniors, providing additional annual benefits of up to $600 for single seniors and $840 for couples. Many low-income seniors are widowed women who have made valuable contributions to their families and communities, but may not have access to other sources of pension income.

“Although Canada has a strong system of support for retired seniors, there are still too many Canadian seniors who experience financial difficulties,” said Harper. “A re-elected Conservative Government will ensure that we provide assistance to those seniors most in need, in recognition of the contributions they have made to our country.”

Harper noted that the Conservative plan represents an additional investment of $300 million per year in Canada’s seniors, which is affordable without raising taxes. “The Ignatieff-led Coalition, with the support of the NDP and the Bloc Québécois, opposed our low-tax plan to help Canadian seniors, workers, and families,” said Harper. “The Ignatieff-led Coalition’s high-tax agenda will hurt seniors, but just as importantly, it will do irreparable harm to the country they worked so hard to build.”

BACKGROUNDER

THE ISSUE

Canada’s seniors have worked hard to build a better country for future generations.  That’s why Stephen Harper’s Government has taken significant action since 2006 to improve the quality of life of Canadian seniors.

As a result of actions taken by the Conservative Government since 2006, seniors and pensioners will receive about $2.3 billion in additional targeted tax relief in 2011-12.  This includes:

• Increasing the Age Credit by $1,000 twice, benefiting 2.2 million seniors.

• Doubling the Pension Income Credit to $2,000.

• Introducing pension income splitting.

• Increasing the age limit for Registered Retirement Savings Plans from 69 to 71 years of age.

• Reducing the minimum Registered Retirement Income Fund withdrawal by 25 per cent, providing $200 million in tax relief.

As a result of our tax relief measures, 85,000 seniors have been removed from the tax rolls entirely.  In 2011, a single senior can earn at least $19,064 and a senior couple can earn at least $38,128 before paying any federal income tax.

Other initiatives the Conservative Government has taken since 2006 to support seniors include:

• Creating a Minister of State for Seniors, so that seniors have a voice in government.

• Creating a National Council for Seniors to advise government on all matters related to the well-being and quality of life of seniors.

• Raising the Guaranteed Income Supplement earned income exemption from $500 to $3,500, benefiting 1.6 million seniors.

• Introducing automatic renewal of the Guaranteed Income Supplement, so that eligible seniors who file a tax return no longer have to reapply for benefits each year.

• Implementing changes to the Canada Pension Plan so that seniors have the freedom to choose to keep working and contributing to their pension funds.

• Announcing a $13-million program to raise awareness of and combat Elder Abuse.

• Increasing funding for the New Horizons for Seniors Program, which supports projects led or inspired by seniors that promote volunteerism, mentorship and social participation by seniors.

• Providing $400 million in funding for affordable housing for low-income seniors.

• Establishing the Targeted Initiative for Older Workers Program, which helps unemployed older workers in small communities affected by significant downsizing, closures or ongoing high unemployment.

• Establishing the Tax Free Savings Account, which allows seniors to transfer money from retirement income funds without negatively impacting federal benefits like the Guaranteed Income Supplement.

And our plan to support seniors is working.  Canada has one of the lowest poverty rates among seniors in the developed world at 5.8 per cent in 2008.  The rate is lower now than it ever was under previous Liberal governments (6.8 per cent in 2003; 7.9 per cent in 1999[1]).  Together, the Old Age Security Program and the Guaranteed Income Supplement assist nearly 6.5 million Canadian seniors.

But there is more to be done.  Canada’s economic recovery is fragile, and there are still too many seniors who are struggling financially.

THE PLAN

As part of the Next Phase of Canada’s Economic Action Plan, a re-elected Conservative Government will increase the Guaranteed Income Supplement for low-income seniors.

While the incidence of poverty among Canadian seniors is relatively low, some seniors remain at risk.  In particular, many low-income seniors are widowed women who have made valuable contributions to their families and communities, but may not have access to other sources of pension income.

The new Guaranteed Income Supplement top-up will target the poorest and most vulnerable seniors, providing an additional annual benefit of up to $600 for single seniors and $840 for couples.

This measure represents an investment of more than $300 million per year, and will further improve the financial security and well-being of more than 680,000 seniors across Canada.  It also represents the single biggest increase to the Guaranteed Income Supplement in over 25 years, and is affordable without raising taxes.  Smaller increases were made to the Supplement in 2006 and 2007; prior to that, increases were last applied in 1980 and 1984.

A re-elected Conservative Government will work collaboratively with provincial and territorial governments to ensure that the new top-up does not interact negatively with provincial or territorial services and benefits.

Other measures in support of seniors in the Next Phase of our Economic Action Plan include:

• Providing an additional $10 million over two years for the New Horizons for Seniors Program, in order to keep seniors active in their communities and raise awareness of important issues such as elder abuse.

• Extending the Targeted Initiative for Older Workers to support training and employment programs that tap into the knowledge and potential of unemployed older workers.

• Eliminating mandatory retirement so that Canadians who choose to remain active in the labour force are able to contribute their experience and knowledge for as long as they wish.

• Committing to ongoing discussions with provincial and territorial governments on enhancements to the Canada Pension Plan, promotion of financial literacy, and pension regulation and tax changes to encourage retirement savings.

THE CHOICE

The Ignatieff-led Coalition has forced an unwanted and opportunistic election that once again demonstrates their disregard for Canadian seniors.  The Coalition parties have consistently voted against measures to help Canada’s poorest and most vulnerable seniors.

The Liberal Party voted against pension income splitting; voted against increasing the age credit; voted against raising the GIS earned income exemption from $500 to $3,500; and voted against additional money for the New Horizons for Seniors Program, including funding to raise awareness of financial abuse of seniors.

The Bloc Québécois voted against raising the GIS earned income exemption; voted against providing $400 million towards affordable housing for seniors, voted against $13 million to combat elder abuse and voted against additional money for the New Horizons for Seniors Program.  And the NDP have voted against every measure put forward by Stephen Harper’s Government to help seniors.

Canadian seniors have a choice between an Ignatieff-led Coalition with its NDP and Bloc Québécois partners that has consistently rejected measures to support seniors, or a stable national Conservative Government that recognizes and rewards the contribution of seniors to Canada.