Column by James
Moore MP
www.jamesmoore.org
March 26.2007
Conservatives Have Delivered for British Columbia
On
January 23rd, 2006 Canadians elected a new Conservative
Government, and we have delivered real results for British
Columbians. We are a minority government in Ottawa with ten fewer
seats than Paul Martin had in his minority government, and we have
fewer than one-in-four seats in the Senate, and historically
minority governments have had limited success in achieving their
goals. Our government, on the other hand, is getting things done
for hard working Canadians. Actually we have done more in 14 months
to create a more rewarding future for British Columbians and their
families than our predecessors did in 13 years. Lets just looks at
the facts.
We signed a
seven-year softwood lumber agreement that will provide market
stability in B.C.’s largest industry, and will return $5 billion in
illegal duties to Canada. This was supported by B.C. industry,
supported by all the softwood-producing provinces of Canada
including the Government of British Columbia, supported by all
Conservative MPs, but
opposed by the Liberals and the NDP.
We have supported
the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. When the Government
of B.C. and the 2010 Olympic Organizing Committee asked for an
additional $55 million, on top the hundreds of millions Ottawa is
already proudly providing the 2010 Games, we delivered.
Our Conservative
Government has delivered record tax relief for British Columbians in
our two budgets. We’ve cut the GST to 6%, cut small business taxes,
provided an annual $1,200 per child universal childcare allowance,
created a $2,000 per child tax credit, made the largest debt
pay-down in Canadian history ($22 billion over 2 years), allowed
pension splitting for seniors, and we created a $500 per child
amateur sport tax credit – which is an idea that was brought forward
by Port Moody, B.C. resident Sharon Mack.
In the last
election campaign Conservatives promised $1 billion over 10 years to
address the Mountain Pine Beetle infestation in B.C. We are
delivering on this commitment, and we are doing so ahead of schedule
with $200 million committed in our first budget alone. It should be
noted, that neither the Liberal Party of Canada, nor the NDP, have
ever presented a plan or made any commitments on the Mountain Pine
Beetle issue, while Conservatives have honoured the promise we made.
We have also
supported B.C.’s environment. When asked to contribute to the
clean-up of Stanley Park after the devastating wind storms, we
immediately responded with $2 million in assistance. We have also
contributed $199.3 million towards the B.C. Government’s environment
agenda through our own ecoTrust initiative. We have reversed
federal Liberal cuts and hired more fish habitat and conservation
officers for B.C. We have also invested $30 million towards B.C.’s
Spirit Bear Rainforest – the largest intact temperate rainforest
left on earth.
We have also
supported B.C.’s infrastructure needs. We promised to support the
Asia-Pacific Gateway in the election campaign, and we have kept our
promise in Government with a commitment of $1 billion towards this
key initiative. We are increasing the GST rebate for municipalities
from 57.1% to 100% which will mean millions more for local
infrastructure. For commuters in B.C. using public transit, whether
it is our bus system, SkyTrain or West Coast Express, monthly
transit passes are tax deductible. We have invested millions into
the Prince George and Cranbrook airports, and we followed through on
$450 million for the Canada Line rapid transit extension that links
downtown Vancouver to the Vancouver International Airport in
Richmond. While the Liberals were in government they ended federal
support for dredging on the Fraser River. Our Conservative
government has invested $4 million for dredging over two years.
British Columbians
value our cultural diversity, and our Conservative Government has
taken action to bring our diverse province together by addressing
past wrongs. We have offered a historic apology and redress for the
racist Chinese head tax. While in power the Liberals refused to
launch an inquiry into one of the worst terrorist attacks in our
history, the bombing of Air India flight 182, which saw the murder
of 329 Canadians. We have taken action, and launched the Air India
Inquiry.
For B.C.’s First
Nations, after 13 years of no progress and hundreds of millions
wasted on lawyers in failed negotiations under the Liberals, our
Conservative Government has reached historic treaty agreements with
three B.C. First Nations: the Lheidli T’enneh in the north, the
Maa-nulth First Nations on Vancouver Island, and the Tswwassen Band
in the lower mainland. We also signed a new education agreement for
B.C. First Nations, and we addressed a tragedy of our past by
putting in place the Indian Residential Schools Settlement
Agreement.
Our Conservative
Government is also working to improve public safety and enact
justice reform. In Budget 2007 we committed
$324 million for six new Coast Guard
vessels, 3 of which will be on the west coast. We have passed tough
new laws against street racing, made investments to hire more police
officers and hired more border guards. We have allocated $9.9
million to TransLink to improve security on public transit,
particularly on SkyTrain which has seen some appalling violence that
must be stopped. We have legislation to end house arrest for
dangerous offenders, enact mandatory minimum sentences for gun
crimes, and protect children from sexual abuse, but the Liberals and
the NDP are preventing these bills from becoming law. Criminal
justice reforms are crucial to the future health of B.C. residents,
and only the Conservative Party of Canada is taking the need to be
tough on crime seriously in the Parliament of Canada.
In
just over a year in office, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and our
Conservative Government have brought real dollars, real results and
positive change for British Columbians. We have kept our promises
and British Columbia is stronger for it.
