2007-10 (October)
BLAINE CALKINS MP REPORT
October 18, 2007
Parliament Hill welcomed two distinguished Canadians on October 16th. Her Excellency Governor General Michaëlle Jean opened the Second Session of the 39th Parliament while Bert Brown watched from his new seat in the Senate Chamber. Senator Brown follows in the steps of the Honourable Stan Waters who was elected by the people of Alberta in 1989 and appointed to the Senate by former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney.
For more than 20 years, Senator Brown has been a passionate advocate for Senate reform. You can be sure that this Alberta farmer will be a powerful voice for the democratic reform outlined in the Speech from the Throne.
In the Throne Speech, the Governor General set out the government’s new legislative plans, vision and goals for a stronger Canada. These measures will build on the initiatives taken since the 2006 election that reduced taxes and allowed Canadians to keep more of their own money. Families now have a real choice in childcare through the Universal Child Care Benefit and we tackled crime so that communities could be safer for our families.
In this new session of Parliament, the focus will be on these five key priorities:
· A Proud and Sovereign Canada in which the Government rigorously defends Canada’s place in the world including through the realization of our strong Arctic vision and a responsible, effective path forward in Afghanistan.
· A Safe and Secure Canada in which the Government will continue to tackle crime and strengthen the security of Canadians by reintroducing important crime legislation with the new Tackling Violent Crime Act, and by putting a strong focus on safe communities and youth and property crime.
· A Strong Federation in which the Government will continue to strengthen the federation – and modernize its democratic institutions – through measures including formal limits on federal spending power and long-overdue reform of the Senate.
· A Prosperous Future in which the Government will provide effective economic leadership and a prosperous future by aggressively moving forward with broad tax relief that includes a further promised reduction in the GST.
· A Healthy Environment for Canadians in which the Government will continue to improve the environment and health of Canadians by delivering realistic and achievable results in areas such as environmental enforcement and product and food safety.
The new Tackling Violent Crime Act was the first bill introduced in this new session. It will be dealt with promptly and subject to a confidence vote. Changes to the Youth Criminal Justice Act are also in the works and we will be asking Parliament to repeal the long gun registry.
The Throne Speech, titled Strong Leadership. A Better Canada. proposes a long-term agenda that will strengthen the country’s unity, sovereignty and role in the world while making Canada a better place to live for families. Copies are available by calling 1-800-O-Canada (1-800-622-6232) or on the internet at: canada.gc.ca.
If you wish more information on these or any federally related matters please contact my Constituency office at: #6, 4612 - 50th Street, Ponoka, T4J 1S7 tel: (403) 783-5530; toll free:1-800-665-0865 or check my web site: www.blainecalkinsmp.ca
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