2010-05 (May)
Blaine Calkins MP Report
Making a Difference for Hard-Working Families
May 20, 2010
The global economic recession created real challenges for Canadians, but thanks to our Conservative Government’s policies of paying down debt and reducing taxes, Canada was in a much stronger position than many other countries when the recession began.
We are taking action to help protect and create jobs through Canada’s Economic Action Plan. This two-year plan is delivering tax relief to Canadians and supporting hard-working families by improving EI benefits and access to job training.
Since last July, the Economic Action Plan has helped to create 285,000 jobs and protect 225,000 jobs through expanded work sharing agreements. Leading the way on jobs and growth is our Government’s top priority but as the economy recovers and hard-working Canadians get back to work, we’re taking action to get Canada back to balanced budgets.
We’re going to get back to balanced budgets by winding down stimulus spending, restraining spending, and reviewing government operations. Our Government won’t raise your taxes or cut provincial transfers for health and education like the Liberal governments of the 1990’s.
To help people better adjust to labour market changes and to balance work and family responsibilities, the Government has frozen EI premiums for 2010 at the same rate as 2009. Most recently, EI maternity, parental, sickness and compassionate care benefits, were extended to self-employed Canadians on a voluntary basis.
We’re supporting our brave men and women in uniform by tabling legislation that would increase the eligibility for EI parental benefits for military families. Canadian Forces members put their lives on the line for our country, and our government is proud to stand behind them, to assist them and their families. Canada has an obligation to ensure that these men and women have access to the programs and services they need. Extending the eligibility window for these benefits is the fair and right thing to do
This new measure would extend the EI parental benefit window for Canadian Forces members who are ordered to return to duty while on parental leave or whose parental leave is deferred as a result of a military requirement. Once passed by Parliament, this measure would extend the period in which they are eligible by another 52 weeks.
We’re also helping single parents by improving the $1,200 a year Universal Child Care Benefit. This action will provide a single mom or a single dad with one child up to $168 a year in tax relief.
All of these actions are making a difference for hard-working families.
Please contact my Constituency office for assistance or for information on federally related matters, postage free at: #6, 4612 - 50th Street, Ponoka, T4J 1S7. Tel: (403) 783-5530; toll free: 1-800-665-0865 or visit my web site: www.blainecalkinsmp.ca
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