Mr. Speaker, I’ll be sharing my time this morning with the member from the beautiful riding of South Shore-St. Margaret's. It is indeed a pleasure, and a privilege, to rise in this house today and speak on behalf of the good people of Brant.
Brant is made up of; the City of Brantford, the County of Brant, Six Nations and the Mississaugas of the New Credit. Each community unique, but its people bound nonetheless by a common history and a common cause to contribute, to prosper and to give the next generation hope for a better life than they themselves had had.
Simple some might say - obvious - yet so often forgotten in pursuit of personal agendas. Universal one could say, as I’m certain these are sentiments shared by Canadians in all ridings. Agriculture has been - and I hope always will be - an integral part of Brant’s shared history.
While farming families in St. George and Paris and Burford grew the food we ate, thousands more, many of them immigrants to this land, built farm equipment in Brantford’s factories like Cockshutt Farm Equipment, Massey Ferguson and White Farm Equipment.
Canada's farmers continue to strive to develop innovative, high-quality food products for Canada's families and markets abroad. In Brant they formed a solid economic foundation for the many rural communities in which they live and work. Despite strong income gains in some sectors over the past two years, Canada's farm sector is not isolated from the current economic downturn. Some farmers, such as livestock producers, are facing higher input prices, and many are affected by low or volatile commodity prices.
Since 2006, the Government has introduced major enhancements to agricultural programming that help the sector manage business risks. The new suite of business risk management programs launched in April 2008 provides comprehensive protection against income variability, natural hazards and disasters as well as easier access to credit through cash advances.
The Economic Action Plan announces new measures to build on this strong foundation. The Government will implement a five-year, $500 million agricultural flexibility program that will facilitate the implementation of new initiatives, both federally and in partnership with provinces, territories and industry. This program will help the sector adapt to pressures and improve their competitiveness.
In addition, the Government will invest $50 million over the next three years to strengthen slaughterhouse capacity in various regions of the country, to support the livestock sector. The program will make federal contributions available to match private sector investments in sound business plans aimed at reducing costs, increasing revenues and improving operations of meat slaughter and processing operations in Canada, with a view to ensuring that Canadian livestock producers have viable and sustainable slaughter options available to them.
The plan also announces proposed amendments to the Farm Improvement and Marketing Cooperatives Loans Act to help make credit available to new farmers, support inter-generational farm transfers, and modify eligibility criteria for agricultural cooperatives. Currently, credit availability under the Act is limited to existing farmers and product marketing cooperatives fully owned by farmers. The proposed amendments will support the renewal of the sector workforce and enable cooperatives to better seize market opportunities.
At the birth of the last century, Brant was the 3rd largest manufacturing centre in Canada, 3rd only to Montreal and Toronto. Those first tractors - made in those factories – supplied a global market moving towards modernized farming. Today global events are shaping the riding of Brant as they have in the past. A global recession originating in the United States threatens us here at home.
Our first priority, all of us, is to protect each other during this global recession. This government`s Economic Action Plan accomplishes this by amongst other measures:
- Extending EI benefits to a maximum of 50 weeks.
- By providing $400 million to support on-reserve housing.
- By providing another $400 million for low-income seniors housing.
- By extending the Wage Earner Protection Program to cover severance and termination pay owed to eligible workers impacted by an employers’ bankruptcy.
- And yes tax cuts, particularly for low- to middle-income Canadians. $4.3 billion in personal income tax relief.
The Economic Action Plan provides for $12 billion in infrastructure spending to not only create jobs but to build roads and universities and recreational facilities. The plan provides for a two-year targeted funding of $165 million for the completion of drinking water and wastewater infrastructure projects to address health and safety priorities in First Nations communities across the country.
Now, I dare say, the vast majority of Canadians who enjoy the pride of home ownership, have at least one project in mind to improve their investment. Further, I would go so far as to say, every home owning MP in the House today has a project in mind for their home, and this may not include the project that the MP`s spouse or partner has in mind! How do I know this? Experience. Over 3 decades of construction experience specializing in home renovation. At first swinging a hammer, mixing concrete, sweeping the sawdust from floors, and later on, as the business grew, helping families design, develop and fulfill those dreams.
For a time I served as President of The Ontario Home Builder`s Association and as Chair of the Ontario Renovator`s Council. I can tell you from that experience that during the new home construction downturn of the early 1990`s, renovation work kept food on the tables of many a tradesperson. Men and women, skilled and unskilled, were able to keep working and stay off the unemployment line.
The Home Renovation Tax Credit will provide up to $1,350 in tax relief to reduce the cost of renovations for an estimated 4.6 million Canadian families. And the First-Time Home Buyers` Tax Credit will provide $750.00 in tax relief to first-time home buyers. Money that can be spent by young families on furnishing those homes, perhaps on furnishing the nursery. Low-income families will be able to earn an additional $1,894 and still receive the maximum National Child Tax Benefit.
As well Mr. Speaker, first-time home buyers will be able to increase their RRSP withdrawal amount from $20,000 to $25,000 to purchase a home.
In addition the plan adds $300 million over two years to the EcoEnergy Home Retrofit Program, which is expected to support an additional 200,000 energy-saving home retrofits. And it’s important to remember that there is a ten-fold spinoff to home building and renovation spending. Manufacturing is employed to produce building products. Distribution systems deliver those goods to the worksite. Retailers benefit from purchases by home owners during and after the project is complete. Purchases of appliances, electronics, window coverings, and furniture and much more.
As one old-time contractor said to me when I told him I specialized in renovation work: ``Ah, renovation, that`s a cat with a long tail``
In closing, Mr. Speaker, this week our government delivered an Economic Action Plan for an unprecedented time in history. A plan built on unprecedented consultation. On pragmatic and practical approaches that respond to the needs of honest middle-class, hard-working Canadians that play by the rules just like the good people of Brant.
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