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Prime Minister addresses Vancouver Board of Trade and hails B.C. as Canada's "Economic and political powerhouse on the Pacific"
7 November 2007
Vancouver
PLEASE CHECK AGAINST DELIVERYLadies and gentlemen,
I am delighted to be back in British Columbia and, indeed, honoured to have this opportunity to address the Vancouver Board of Trade. This is a vibrant organization that reflects the spirit of progress this city and this province demonstrate to the rest of Canada and to the world each and every day. Now, as much as it is an immense privilege for me to stand before you as Prime Minister of Canada, it is a personal privilege for me to do so knowing that we have built such a strong B.C. team in Ottawa.
No fewer than five ministers, six parliamentary secretaries and 18 MPs are giving strong voice to the issues and priorities that matter to British Columbians. Nearly one quarter of the national membership of the Conservative Party of Canada originates here. In fact, no national government has ever had such deep roots in this province. This is reflected not only in the composition of our Cabinet, caucus and party – but in the agenda our government is pursuing and the increasing influence British Columbia brings to that process.
Speaking of that agenda, last month, our government delivered and passed its second Speech from the Throne, entitled "Strong Leadership. A Better Canada." As you know, we have delivered much of what we promised in our election campaign of two years ago. With this new mandate from Parliament, we now want to focus our attention on five core longer-term priorities that we have set out to achieve a better Canada for all of us.
They are:
It is no coincidence that our core priorities are also British Columbia’s priorities. Neither is it that British Columbians figure prominently in the actions our government is taking. David Emerson, for example, is chair of our Cabinet committee on long-term economic growth and prosperity. We have good reason to feel particularly optimistic on the West Coast these days.
With the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, Vancouver and British Columbia will soon showcase Canada to the world and, like our country's, the province’s economy is booming. Despite serious challenges in the forestry sector, British Columbia is Canada’s emerging economic and political powerhouse on the Pacific. Of course, the strength of this economy can only be enhanced by the massive, long-term tax reduction that is being put in place by our government.
We are, of course, particularly pleased with the passage of last week’s tax measures
In addition to these tax reductions, our government is undertaking the largest national infrastructure investments in half a century. Just yesterday, I was in Golden, along with Premier Campbell, to launch our Building Canada Plan, our historic partnership to deliver results in areas such as roads and highways, public transit, bridges, sewer and water systems and green energy. Of course, our flagship project is our billion-dollar investment in the Asia-Pacific Gateway and Corridor Initiative.
Minister Emerson, as Minister responsible for the Gateway, and James Moore, who has special responsibilities in Public Works, are playing significant leadership roles on the B.C. side of these undertakings. As International Trade Minister, David also has a critical role in re-invigorating our efforts to open up more international markets to Canadian products.
Our agreement with the European Free Trade Association is the first international trade agreement Canada has concluded in years.
This may be the twentieth anniversary of our signing of the landmark Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement, but the fact is, that in the thirteen years following NAFTA, Canada largely disappeared from the trade negotiation business just as everyone else around the world went into high gear. Through David’s leadership, in the past year Canada has:
This agreement is a vital part of bolstering the role of the Vancouver International Airport in the Asia-Pacific Gateway, and will help bring the dynamic Singaporean economy closer to British Columbia. Of course, there are some challenges in Canada’s and British Columbia’s economy. Forestry is one example of a struggling sector, compounded by uncertainty in U.S. markets and the strength of the Canadian dollar. Our government is aware of these challenges and, through another British Columbian, Natural Resources Minister Gary Lunn, we are responding.
Among other things, we have provided four hundred million dollars to strengthen the long-term competitiveness of the forestry sector - to combat the pine beetle infestation and to support worker adjustment so that those who have depended on forestry can look to the future with confidence. Gary also has a significant hand in our government’s environmental initiatives, particularly in the areas of climate change.
Our government is bringing in Canada’s first mandatory system of national targets for greenhouse gases and air pollutants. The success of the plan ultimately hinges on the successful adaptation to cleaner, low-carbon technologies. We are ensuring that B.C.’s green technology and energy sectors will benefit from our government’s eco-energy initiatives, just as we have worked with local and provincial governments on environmental protection initiatives in Stanley Park and the Great Bear Rainforest.
Of course, environmental initiatives also play a significant role in this government’s focus on strengthening Canada’s sovereignty. There can be nothing more fundamental to a national government than the protection of its sovereignty.
And our most important sovereignty challenge today lies in our Arctic, where retreating polar ice, rising global demand for resources and the prospect of year-round shipping are creating new challenges and exciting opportunities for the North. Chuck Strahl, in his capacity as Northern Affairs Minister, has the lead role for our government in a series of environmental, economic, social, military and governance initiatives in the North. Our message to Canadians and to the world on the Arctic is clear: when it comes to sovereignty, you must either use it or lose it, and this government will do everything necessary to ensure our sovereignty in the Arctic!
Now let me turn to another priority that must be high for any national government. That is, protecting the security of the country and the safety of its citizens from crime – which is, of course, in significant part the responsibility of Public Security Minister Stockwell Day.
Now that we have passed our Throne Speech and the long-term tax reduction plan, the immediate focus of our government will be passage of the Tackling Violent Crime Act. In the last election, we campaigned on dealing with the growing problem of gun, gang and drug crime. The recent murders in Surrey and Shaughnessy only underscore why all the national parties campaigned in favour of tougher laws against violent crime and why the public is fed up with the soft-on-crime approach. But in the first session of this minority parliament, the opposition parties held up five critical pieces of anti-crime legislation.
Measures:
In our first year and a half, these bills were held up in committee by the opposition for nearly a thousand days. This is unacceptable, and that is why we have now tabled the comprehensive Tackling Violent Crime Act and made it a confidence issue. I’m sure you will join me in calling on Parliament to promptly pass these measures to help make our streets and communities safer!
Last, but by no means least, this government has made one of our long-term priorities the modernization of our federation and its democratic institutions. This is reflected, for example, in Chuck Strahl’s determination to deal with some of the governance issues in Indian Affairs like:
It is also reflected in a number of democratic reform initiatives we’re pursuing. Like our proposals to allow for Senate elections and to shorten senators’ terms from a maximum of 45 years to eight years. We are dedicated to the basic proposition that Canada needs the Senate to change. And, if it cannot be reformed, I think most British Columbians, like most Canadians, will eventually conclude that it will have to be abolished. But perhaps the most important measure from a B.C. perspective is our legislation, which we will be re-introducing in Parliament next week, to finally give the province its proper share of seats in the House of Commons!
Over the last few decades, this province has experienced significant population growth that is not being fairly translated into representation in Parliament. British Columbia remains a relatively middle-sized province. There is no justification in perennially under-representing it in a constitutional system that is supposed to be based on representation by population. We will continue to urge the opposition to pass this bill on which yet another British Columbia Minister, Secretary of State Jay Hill, will play a key role.
Ladies and gentleman, I have reviewed some of the actions we are taking of particular relevance to British Columbia through our Throne Speech agenda – entitled "Strong Leadership. A Better Canada."
Ladies and gentlemen, while we live in a world of uncertainty, from which Canada and some of our sectors are not immune, the fact is this. Today:
This did not happen by accident – just as all that we have achieved in the past 21 months will not be sustained by mere luck. It is in significant part the consequence of a plan. A plan pursued by a team with principles, focus and determination. A plan that has delivered more than it promised, rather than promising more than it can deliver. A plan based on our government’s firm belief that, for this country to continue to be successful, equality of opportunity must triumph over the entitlement to power. I am convinced that, in the 21st century, Canada will be an ever more powerful force for good in a world that needs leadership by example. I am convinced that British Columbia will assume a growing role of economic and political leadership within that Canada.
It was our first prime minister, Sir John A. Macdonald, who, with the Canadian Pacific Railway, tied British Columbia to Canada. Through the Asia-Pacific Gateway, environmental leadership, and long-overdue reform to Parliament, it will be our mission to tie Canada to British Columbia, and we hope to do that with your advice and with your help.
Thank you. And until next time.
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7 November 2007
News Releases - Prime Minister addresses Vancouver Board of Trade and hails B.C. as Canada's "Economic and political powerhouse on the Pacific"
