Address to Gananoque Economic Development Forum

October 02, 2007

Thank you for inviting me to be here this evening.

The forum you have organized is a chance to bring concerned residents and leaders together to discuss what has been a primary issue throughout Leeds-Grenville and more acutely so in Gananoque in the past couple of years.

Over the next couple of minutes I will explain the federal government’s role in job creation and what is available locally for residents.

In terms of the big picture, the government of Canada helps set the economic climate and conditions in the country to encourage investment and job creation.

When we came to office just over a year and a half ago one of the first things Finance Minister Jim Flaherty did was look for the economic plan for Canada to try to figure out what was going wrong. It turns out the previous government didn’t have one.

So his second step was to develop an economic plan. He calls it Advantage Canada.

I won’t go into the details because the information is available on the internet and I encourage everyone to read it - but to sum up, it outlines the country’s long term economic goals through a tax advantage, fiscal advantage, entrepreneurial advantage, knowledge advantage, and infrastructure advantage.

Our government is already working on all these points.

• As well as reducing personal taxes, we are reducing business taxes with our goal being to establish the lowest tax rate on new business investment in the G7.
• Our fiscal advantage will see the elimination of Canada’s net debt in less than a generation and make Canada an economically safe place to set up shop as well as keeping taxes as low as possible.
• For entrepreneurs, we are reducing costly red tape and regulations and lowering taxes to unlock business investment including accelerating write-downs on technology and equipment.
• In the knowledge department we recognize that a highly trained workforce will not only attract new investment, it will produce entrepreneurs. It will add productivity and attract more investment.
• Finally, you have heard a great deal about infrastructure from our government and you will be hearing more. Canada’s infrastructure is aging and the demands of a modern, secure, economy require the best infrastructure possible at our ports, bridges and on our highways.
  

The second issue I want to mention briefly - and again I encourage you to get all the information on the internet - is our report on the manufacturing industry in Canada - another crucial area ignored by the previous government.

Under the guidance of my colleague, MP James Rajotte, the House of Commons standing committee on industry, science and technology last February undertook an extensive study of manufacturing in Canada.

It made 22 recommendations to encourage, attract and retain industry.

The government responded immediately with its own report and I am pleased to add we have already moved on a number of the recommendations and are working on the remainder.

I know one of the biggest concerns in Gananoque and area right now is the loss of manufacturing jobs from older industries.

It is a problem. But it is a world-wide problem. I personally have spent time in Washington talking with legislators there about how to make North America more competitive. Canada’s job losses in this area are similar to Europe, Japan and the United States.

It is an issue that the Canadian government takes seriously.

Having said that, it is also important to realize that industries are setting up shop in Canada. Just not here in Gananoque – yet.

When we do lose an industry locally, the federal government, along with the provincial and municipal partners, takes immediate steps to assist those who find themselves out of work.

For example, when plants close here in Gananoque we set up Action Centres. These provide a range of services that help people find new jobs including skills training and employment services. These centres remain open as long as they are required.

I want to spend the last few minutes of my time here today to talk about a success story in Leeds-Grenville.

The Community Futures Development Corporations use federal government money on home-grown economic initiatives.

They provide a wide range of services from new business start-up advice and courses, to investment.

They work in the public and private sectors with clients ranging from individuals to corporations.

To me, this is the best economic development program we can provide. It ensures that money allocated for the area is spent where it is most needed and can do the most good. The folks who make the decisions live and work in the community.

I believe we have several people here today from the 1000 Islands CDC – Executive Director Tom Russell and Susan Fournier is also in attendance.

Before I read through some statistics I would like to note that I visit municipal councils and one of the items that I emphasize when I speak with municipal leaders is the economic development possibilities offered by the CFDCs.

Let me review briefly what the CFDC has accomplished in Gananoque and the township.

In Gananoque and the township over the past three years close to $600,000 of federal money has been spent directly on such things as skills training, community capacity projects such as the boat museum, local initiatives and retrofits of existing businesses.

I encourage people to contact the CFDC with economic initiatives. They are there to help.

I could talk longer but I think this gives a reasonable background about what the federal government can and is doing to encourage economic development.

Thank you.