Respecting Our Farmers
Our
hard-working farmers deserve the unqualified respect and gratitude of
their fellow Canadians. Their contribution to the fabric of our nation
does not receive the recognition it should. Liberals know the
difficulties our farmers are facing in as they try to earn a good living
— to prosper — in the face of unfair subsidies paid to their
international counterparts.
The Liberal team is determined to
help our farmers face this challenge. We will continue to defend for our
important Canadian farming institutions like the Canadian Wheat board,
supply management, as well as egg and milk protections for decent
prices.
Liberals also want to help farmers create new
markets in the new sustainable economy, in areas such as ethanol,
bio-fuels, low-till practices, wind power and other new technologies.
Canadian
farmers are the backbone of our country. As Liberals, we recognize the
importance of a strong and prosperous farming community and are
committed to creating an environment that allows Canadian producers to
earn a living and build a future for themselves, their families and
their industry.
A Brighter Future for Aboriginal Peoples
The
rich cultures of Canada’s First Nations, Inuit and Métis people form
the foundation of our great country. Aboriginal Peoples represent the
largest segment of our young people and the fastest growing segment of
our population. Yet many Aboriginal people live in poverty, unable to
take advantage of the same opportunities in education, health, and
housing as other Canadians.
On November 25, 2005, former Prime
Minister Paul Martin signed the Kelowna Accord, a culmination of more
than two years of hard work on the part of Aboriginal leaders and the
federal and provincial governments, to allocate more than $5 billion in
federal funding over five years to close the prosperity gap between
Aboriginal Peoples and non-Aboriginal Canadians.
The Kelowna
Accord had the full support of 10 premiers -representing all political
stripes- but the Conservative government’s support for the agreement has
been ambiguous at best. Prime Minister Stephen Harper has promised to
meet the goals of Kelowna, but his government’s budget slashed funding
for Aboriginal programs by 80 per cent.
The Liberal team
recognizes the importance of the Kelowna Accord – not only for First
Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples, but for our country as a whole.
As
a nation it is critical that we do more to secure a brighter future for
Aboriginal Peoples in Canada. With more Aboriginal MPs than all other
political parties combined, the Liberal team is committed to working
together with First Nations, Métis and Inuit leaders to ensure that
Prime Minister Stephen Harper will follow through on the commitments
made by the Government of Canada.
A More Representative Parliament
Women
and girls in Canada today enjoy a level of equality and freedom that
eluded their mothers and grandmothers. But despite the tremendous
progress we have made, Canada’s Parliament still has unacceptably few
women.
Women make up 51 per cent of Canada’s population,
but only 21 per cent of our Members of Parliament. For women to truly
have a voice shaping Canada’s future, we need more women to be involved
in the parliamentary process.
The Liberal team is committed to
ensuring that more women hold positions in the House of Commons. That is
why at least one third of Liberal candidates in the next federal
election will be highly qualified women, recruited in their communities
in a way that respects local riding democracy as much as possible.
The
female members of our Liberal team proudly represent Canada's cultural,
linguistic and regional diversity. We will strive to ensure that more
women like them make a lasting contribution to this country and will
continue to fight for the interests of Canadian women.
Investing in a Stronger Canada
A
truly innovative economy is one driven by ideas, invention and
technologies, one which leads the way in how it produces goods and
delivers them to global markets. Thanks to the investments made previous
Liberal governments, Canada has become a world leader in research and
innovation. We must not lose this hard-won advantage.
Liberals
understand it takes more than just tax breaks to strengthen and grow our
economy. We must make real investments in post-secondary education, so
that Canadian talent and ingenuity can flourish and drive our economy
into the future. To translate Canadian innovation into economic
prosperity, we must also better link the lab to the marketplace and
establish strategic partnerships with growing economic giants like
China, India and Brazil.
The countries that will lead the
world in the 21st century will have the strongest, most sustainable
economies. Canada must find ways to align the environment and the
economy, creating new technologies that allow us to produce more and use
less.
To ensure Canada’s economic success for years to come, we
need to put in place a solid foundation for our future today. With real
investments in innovation, in our workers, and in our planet, Canada
will be an economic world leader for generations to come.
A Healthy Environment
The
world is now facing a global environmental threat worse than any we
have previously seen. Canadians know that climate change is real; they
are witnessing first hand more violent storms, longer heat waves and
increasing droughts.
We must reduce our carbon emissions, not in
the distant future, but today. We must help our industries remain highly
competitive in the global marketplace, by dealing with the escalating
economic and environmental costs of energy.
That is why the
Liberal team has developed a plan to put Canada's large industrial
polluters on a carbon budget to help reduce our emissions levels and
trigger greater investment in green technologies for the future.
But
a strategy for corporate Canada is not enough to address climate
change. As Canadians, we can help the environment by helping ourselves.
Canadians
support Kyoto and they know it means binding targets not voluntary
promises. They know it means countries keeping their word to each other.
They know that it is only the first step, but a critical step, towards
fighting climate pollution and stabilizing our atmosphere.
We cannot turn our backs on the planet. Canada needs real environmental leadership now.
Timely and Quality Healthcare
Our
national health care system is a legacy that Liberals will never
abandon. We will ensure that our health care system will continue to be
there when Canadians need it, no matter where they live, and no matter
what their income.
Today our health care system is facing many
challenges: the booming cost of drugs and equipment, an aging
population, and long wait times for key services such as MRIs and cancer
treatments.
Canadians want a system that is patient-focused; one
that puts their health care needs first and responds to their demands
for shorter waiting times. Canadians expect their governments to work
together to improve access, to be accountable for the use of taxpayers’
money, and to ensure that the system is sustainable for future
generations.
The Liberal team can meet this challenge. It was
Lester B. Pearson’s Liberal government that created healthcare in
Canada. And it was Prime Ministers Jean Chrétien and Paul Martin
improved access to health care, shortened wait times and allocated $41.3
billion to our provincial counterparts as part of the 10-Year Plan to
Strengthen Health Care.
Like you, Liberals want an effective
health care system for our future generations to rely upon in times of
need. We believe the federal government has a key role to play in
improving health care in Canada; in being a good partner for the
provinces, but also in being stronger in its own jurisdiction.
Social Justice for All
Giving families a helping hand, at all stages of life, is an important part of creating a society of which we can all be proud.
Liberals
understand that good social policy is good economic policy. People
become healthier, better educated, more secure, better equipped to be
strong players in the economy. And, in turn, a stronger economy will
produce greater social justice for us all.
Thanks to the previous
Liberal government’ decade of strong fiscal management, Canada has had
the capacity to improve its social programs and help Canadians across
the country experience equality of opportunity.
Canada is a
compassionate country –and this compassion is our strength. Liberals
know, as you do, that childcare doesn’t come in the mailbox and that
low-income Canadians need our help to climb the welfare wall so they can
support their families.
The face of Canada is changing as
thousands of people from all over the world choose to make Canada their
home. We need to make the most of our newcomers’ talents and abilities
to help our economy succeed.
As our population ages, we must also
invest more in the evolving needs of our seniors. From protecting
retirement savings to providing assistance for caregivers, we must
enhance the quality of life for all seniors, especially those with the
most limited means.
Liberals believe in a strong, just society,
strong public health care, equality for all, respect for human rights
and a Charter of Rights and Freedoms that protects all Canadians
including all minorities from prejudice, racism, and inequality.
By
investing in the lives of all Canadians, our seniors, our children,
families, newcomers, and aboriginal Canadians, we can continue to build
the fair and prosperous Canada we want.
Strengthening Our Communities
Canada’s
cities are at the centre of our country’s success; driving economic
growth, employment and innovation. As our population grows and changes,
our cities are facing increasing challenges in dealing with the growing
burden placed on municipalities.
Liberals recognize the
importance of the challenges facing cities, which is why our government
created the New Deal for Cities and Communities. Through federal
transfers such as the GST rebate and the gas tax, our government
provided stable, long-term commitments, with the predictable funding
cities need to fix roads, improve local infrastructure and ensure clean
water supplies.
Public transit is more important to Canadian cities
than ever before. By 2031, there will be 3 million more people living in
the GTA and Hamilton, and another one and a half million cars on the
roads, creating more smog and pollution. Serious investments in public
transit are required to reduce commute times and create a cleaner
environment.
Each year more than 200,000 newcomers choose Canada
as their home, and most of them settle in our major cities. The burden
falls on those cities to help them build a new life, to raise their
families, to help them succeed. We must work together with our municipal
partners to help new Canadians integrate into community life.
To
meet the challenges we face, and the opportunities that come with them,
we need to work together, in partnership with Canada’s municipalities.
While it is critical that we respect each order of government's
constitutional responsibilities, our cities must be part of the
discussion as we plan the future of our great country.
Contact INFO:
Constituency Mailing Address:
4829-47 Ave.
St Paul, AB T0A 3A4
Phone: 780-645-2088
Toll Free: 1-866-645-2088
Email: leila@leilaliberal.ca
Website: www.leilaliberal.ca
Constituency Website: www.westlockstpaul.ca
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