Liberal Party of Canada - Manitoba

Liberal Infrastructure Announcement: Manitoba would receive $2.8-billion over 10 years

2008-09-18T13:43:00.000-05:00

For Immediate Release

September 18, 2008

Liberal Infrastructure Announcement: Manitoba would receive $2.8-billion over 10 years

Fund includes $300-million for Small Communities, $400-million for Water and Waste upgrades, $120-million for Sports and Recreation Centres and $1-billion for Municipalities

WINNIPEG – A new Liberal government will commit more than $70 billion over the next 10 years to improve the critical infrastructure that supports Canada's competitiveness and quality of life and will use unanticipated annual budget surpluses to infrastructure projects, Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion announced today.

Of that amount, Manitoba would receive approximately $2.8-billion in funding for projects. Dion's announcement specifically mentioned funding for an east-west power grid to carry Manitoba's green Hydro-generated electricity to Saskatchewan and Ontario.

Locally, Liberal MP's Anita Neville and Raymond Simard said that the funds were earmarked in such a way that they would enable further expansion rapid transit in Winnipeg, support for recreational and community infrastructure and - perhaps most importantly funding for the City of Winnipeg and other municipalities to fix roads and bridges.

"The current finance Minister has said that his government "doesn't do potholes," and in Winnipeg, that just doesn't fly," said Simard. "I am here to say that the Liberal will fill potholes, we will build community recreation centres, because we want to build our communities and make them stronger."

"Today's announcement is a major investment in the economic and environmental future of Winnipeg and Manitoba," said Neville, "The east-west grid will allow us to sell our green Hydro energy to places that currently use coal to generate electricity, which is good for our economy, and good for the planet."

The Liberals would honour all existing framework agreements that have been signed with the provinces and territories. The specific priorities of the $70-billion investment include:

- at least $10 billion of strategic infrastructure, particularly green infrastructure such as water and sewage treatment, and clean energy grids;

- at least $8 billion for a National Transit Strategy that will enable our cities to expand their transit systems and green their transit fleets;

- at least $3 billion for a dedicated Small Communities Fund, to ensure that all Canadians are able to see strengthened, more resilient infrastructure;

- at least $4.5 billion for our country's gateways, corridors and borders to ensure that Canada's infrastructure facilitates, rather than hinders, our trade and tourism industries while keeping Canada safe and secure; and

- at least $3 billion for sports and recreational facilities because an active society is a healthy society and Canada must renew and expand its arenas and other leisure facilities.

A Liberal government created the gas tax transfer to municipalities to help them invest in important infrastructure needs, and we will now index it to economic growth so our cities and communities can develop as our economy grows. Over the course of our 10-year plan, municipalities will see almost $25 billion transferred to them through the improved gas tax transfer.

This announcement builds on a Liberal commitment made in February 2008 that all unanticipated surplus funds beyond a $3-billion contingency reserve will be spent on infrastructure, particularly green infrastructure.

A new Liberal government will also create an Infrastructure Bank to make available to all levels of government low-cost financing for infrastructure projects such as regional energy grids or high-speed rail.

"Canada's cities and towns are the engines of our economy," said Mr. Dion. "Without significant long-term investments in infrastructure, our economy and environment will suffer. This plan will provide Canada's economic engines with the support they need, and is an important part of our efforts to reduce Canada's environmental footprint."

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Contact:

LIBERAL PARTY OF CANADA - MANITOBA

CAMPAIGN MEDIA CONTACT:

The Hon. Sen. Sharon Carstairs

Election Campaign Co-Chair

Cell 509-9542 office 988-9540

635 Broadway Ave Winnipeg, MB R3C 0X1 Tel: (204) 988-9540 Fax (204) 988-9549

web: www.liberalpartyofcanada-mb.ca

BACKGROUND

Ensuring that Canada has high quality, sustainable infrastructure to meet the needs of Canadians is a critical part of managing our economy. Our provinces, territories and municipalities need a partner in Ottawa to ensure Canada can maintain its competitiveness and quality of life.

It was a Liberal government that launched the first infrastructure programs and created the New Deal for Cities and Communities, which provided a GST rebate to municipalities and transferred the equivalent of five cents of the gas tax to municipalities for investments in infrastructure. We recognize that provinces, territories and municipalities need long-term, predictable funding to eliminate the infrastructure deficit in this country.

The Liberal long-term infrastructure plan will:

create a 10-year plan to invest $70 billion in much-needed infrastructure;

devote all unanticipated annual budget surplus funds beyond a $3-billion contingency reserve to infrastructure;

create an Infrastructure Bank to make available to each level of government low-cost financing for major infrastructure projects such as regional energy grids or high-speed rail.

As part of the $70-billion plan, we will honour all existing framework agreements that have been signed with the provinces, because when the Government of Canada puts its name on an agreement, future governments should respect that commitment. And we will be more transparent about our priorities for the federal funding we provide.

Liberal priorities for the $70-billion commitment will include:

- at least $10 billion of strategic infrastructure, particularly green infrastructure such as water and sewage treatment, and clean energy grids;

- at least $8 billion for a National Transit Strategy that will enable our cities to expand their transit systems and green their transit fleets;

- at least $3 billion for a dedicated Small Communities Fund, to ensure that all Canadians are able to see strengthened, more resilient infrastructure;

- at least $4.5 billion for our country's gateways, corridors and borders to ensure that Canada's infrastructure facilitates, rather than hinders, our trade and tourism industries while keeping Canada safe and secure; and

- at least $3 billion for sports and recreational facilities because an active society is a healthy society and Canada must renew and expand its arenas and other leisure facilities.

In addition to setting these clear priorities, our 10-year plan includes the transfer of almost $25 billion to the municipalities through the gas tax transfer. This transfer will now be indexed to nominal GDP growth so that municipalities have the funding certainty they need to keep up with economic growth.

And for the first time ever, we will establish a policy to devote any unanticipated surplus - over and above a $3-billion contingency fund to ensure fiscal prudence - to investment in infrastructure. This would have represented $7 billion in 2007-08 alone, and nearly $75 billion if this approach had been taken over the last ten years. The top priority will be investment in sustainable infrastructure: public transit, water systems, green energy, waste management and contaminated sites.

A new Liberal government will also develop an Infrastructure Bank as an additional tool to finance infrastructure investment. This bank will provide low-cost financing for all orders of government that choose to borrow from it. It will also help finance long-term infrastructure projects such as regional energy grids or high-speed rail.

Through the Infrastructure Bank, Canadians across the country would have the opportunity to participate in the Bank's projects through the purchase of tax-free Green Bonds, which would be similar to Canada Savings Bonds, but with the money directed toward investments in renewable energy infrastructure or other investments that will clean up our environment and strengthen our economy. The returns on their investment through these Green Bonds would be tax free.

Through these commitments, a Liberal government will be a willing partner for mega projects like an East-West energy grid, an Atlantic Energy Corridor, a carbon capture and sequestration pipeline between Alberta and Saskatchewan and high-speed rail links in Canada's busiest commuter corridors.

Liberals reaching out online to Canadians across the country

2008-09-14T11:37:00.001-05:00

OTTAWA - The Liberal Party of Canada has been actively using a variety of social media networking tools to reach millions of Canadians across the country.

The Liberal Party knows that just as important as talking to Canadians about our forward-looking policies is listening to them to get their feedback.

That's why we've been using social media networking utilities to give grassroots voters the opportunity to participate in the democratic process at a level never before seen.

The Liberal Party has a history of reaching out to Canadians online through such interactive means as forumliberalis.ca, an online policy discussion site where users commented on platform policy ideas before the election campaign. As well, www.thisisdion.ca, launched during this campaign, is another interactive site where Canadians have the opportunity to get to know a more personal side of the Liberal leader.

The following tools are giving us a tremendous opportunity to connect with Canadians:

Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Stephane-Dion/7874631159
Check out our newly revamped social networking site with comprehensive updates featuring the leader's video blog, news releases, pictures, and public commentary.

Twitter - http://twitter.com/LiberalTour
Twitter is a free social networking and micro-blogging service that allows users to follow Liberal Party of Canada National Director Greg Fergus as he travels the nation with Stéphane Dion. Messages are sent either to your cell phone or to a web-based application for review at any time.

YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/user/liberalvideo
Come and see more than 30 Liberal videos, including footage from the campaign trail, discussions with MPs and campaign ads. This is updated daily with new videos.

MySpace - http://www.myspace.com/dionliberal
Become a MySpace friend with Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion on the popular networking site.

Flickr - http://www.flickr.com/photos/30351505@N05/
Flickr is an online photo management and sharing application where users can view and upload photos for free. Visit our photo sharing site to see scores of photos from the campaign trail.

Youth Text - http://www.txt.ca/youthtext.htm
An interactive venue for high school students and other young people from across the country to voice their concerns via text messaging. The program is designed to involve young people in the political process and foster a dialogue between students and policy-makers.

Simard & Neville: Liberals will Deliver on Foreign Aid to Darfur

2008-09-12T15:09:00.001-05:00

For Immediate Release, September 12, 2001

Liberals will Respect and Promote Human Rights at home and abroad, say candidates

WINNIPEG – Raymond Simard, MP for St. Boniface and Anita Neville, MP for Winnipeg South Centre, together with a team of Manitoba Liberal candidates chose the future site of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights to announce that a future Liberal government would provide real aid and action on Darfur, as well as promoting human rights and international agreements that the Conservative government of Stephen Harper has abandoned.

"Stephen Harper and his government have not done enough. The pleas for financial aid of the World Food Program and the International Organization on Migration have fallen on deaf ears," said Simard. "Under a Liberal government, Canada was one of the top three international donors supporting food aid and peacebuilding in the Sudan, and we need to regain that leadership, for the sake of the people of Darfur."

Simard said that the Liberals proposed four key elements to bringing the conflict to an end.

1) strengthening the international commitment to Africa by appointing a
high level regional coordinator and increasing Canadian aid and trade to Africa;

2) rescuing the north-south peace process in Sudan;

3) re-energizing the Darfur peace process through the U.S.-Norway-Canada-UN
contact group and engaging China, while assisting the International Criminal Court to bring war criminals to justice;and

4) strengthening the joint UN/AU peacekeeping mission in Darfur by providing
expert staff and equipment.

"We need a Canadian Museum for Human Rights," said Simard, "But human rights don't just belong in a museum. We need to affirm and fight for them every day - linguistic rights, minority rights, in Canada and around the world. Human rights are a core Liberal value, and a core commitment of this campaign."

Neville said that Conservatives' contempt for equality was evident in the Harper government's cancellation of the Winnipeg-based Canadian Court Challenges Program, and the fact that the government removed "equality" from Status of Women Canada's mandate.

"The Charter of Rights is meaningless unless all Canadians - not just the wealthy - can afford to challenge the government to fulfill its obligations," said Neville. "That is what the Court Challenges Program was there to help deliver, and that is why Liberals are going to restore funding to that program."

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LIBERAL PARTY OF CANADA - MANITOBA

CAMPAIGN MEDIA CONTACT:

The Hon. Sen. Sharon Carstairs

Election Campaign Co-Chair

Cell 509-9542 office 988-9540

635 Broadway Ave Winnipeg, MB R3C 0X1 Tel: (204) 988-9540 Fax (204) 988-9549

web: HYPERLINK "http://www.liberalpartyofcanada-mb.ca/" www.liberalpartyofcanada-mb.ca

BACKGROUNDER

Liberal Record in Government on Sudan and Darfur

Liberal governments have addressed the conflicts in southern Sudan and Darfur through diplomacy, military and technical assistance, and humanitarian aid.

Since 2000, Liberal governments committed nearly $366 million in support of the peace process, peacebuilding, and for food and humanitarian aid. This includes $170 million in support of the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) making Canada one of the mission's top three international donors.

In April 2005, the Liberal government committed $90 million at the Oslo Donors' Conference for food, non-food aid, peace-building and good governance initiatives and for the Joint Assessment Mission, an effort under the United Nations and World Bank to support the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and reduce poverty in the south. Of these funds, $28 million was directed to Darfur.

Prior to the Oslo announcement, Liberal governments committed $106 million for humanitarian assistance, peacebuilding, mine clearance, human rights, community development and other assistance.

On the diplomatic front, Canada provided diplomatic and financial support to the African Union (AU)-Ied peace talks in Abuja, Nigeria, and Canada's Ambassador to the UN, Allan Rock, played a critical role in the May 5, 2006 peace negotiations for Darfur.

Canada's military support for AMIS under Liberal governments included leased commercial helicopters and transport aircraft, the loan of armoured personnel carriers, financial support for aviation and ground fuel, support to civilian police operations, provision of basic equipment and Canadian military, police and civilian experts to assist with strategic planning, logistics and air operations, training, information support and communications. In May 2005, the Liberal government committed up to 80 military and civilian personnel to the expansion of AMIS.

Liberal Position in Opposition

The Liberal opposition has urged the government to increase its financial contribution to aid in the humanitarian crisis in Darfur and neighbouring Aweil - in particular to meet financial pleas by the World Food Program and the International Organization on Migration.

The Canadian Court Challenges Program

On Sept. 9, Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion announced that a new Liberal government will not only reinstate the Court Challenges Program but also double the annual funding to $6 million a year to ensure that all groups will have the support they need to protect their rights.

As the costs of Charter cases increase, so too must our willingness to assist with those costs. The protections guaranteed under the Charter are only as meaningful as the ability of Canadians to access those protections.

The Court Challenges Program of Canada is a non-profit organization which was set up in 1994 to provide financial assistance for important court cases that advance language and equality rights guaranteed under Canada's Constitution.

In September 2006, in a press release titled "Canada's New Government cuts wasteful programs, refocuses spending on priorities, achieves major debt reduction as promised" the Conservative government cancelled the Court Challenges Program despite an independent evaluation done in 2003 that endorsed the Program's purpose and operation. As a result of this decision, the Program had to stop accepting applications for funding.

On the press release, the Conservatives listed the program under the heading "Value for Money – Funding for third parties to further their interests or programs that are not effective, do not achieve results or are being re-focused or targeted for improved effectiveness".

The Conservatives boasted that the cancellation would save $5.6 million over 2 years in a year in which they were projecting a surplus of $7.2 billion. In fact, the same day are the Court Challenges Program was cancelled for purely ideological reasons, the Harper government announced a $13.2 billion surplus.

The Court Challenges Program has funded groups who participated in landmark court cases on issues like: minority language rights and the right to healthcare services in official languages, the right of gays and lesbians to marry, and the equality rights of women and the disabled.

The Program also funded Democracy Watch (acting in coalition with the National Anti-Poverty Organization) to intervene in Harper v. Canada – the case brought by Stephen Harper, then President of the National Citizens Coalition, challenging third-party election spending limits.

This program has defended minority language rights, equality rights, the rights of women and strong spending limits in an election – no wonder Stephen Harper cancelled it.

On June 19, the Conservative government announced the creation of a new program to replace the Court Challenges Program. The new program deals exclusively with minority language rights at the expense of the women's equality rights, the rights of the disabled or the rights of gay and lesbian Canadians.

MEDIA ADVISORY - Liberal Campaign Event with MP Bob Rae

2008-09-11T13:18:00.001-05:00

MEDIA ADVISORY - Liberal Campaign Event with MP Bob Rae

September 11, 2001

MEDIA ADVISORY - For Immediate Release

Liberal Campaign Event with MP Bob Rae

In attendance:
Bob Rae, MP Toronto Centre and Liberal Foreign Affairs Critic  Anita Neville, MP Winnipeg South Centre,  Raymond Simard, MP St. Boniface and
- other Manitoba Liberal candidates

Date: Friday, September 12, 2008

Time: 1:45 pm

Location: Peace Park at the foot of the Riel Esplanade on the Western bank of the Red River, next to the construction site of the future Canadian Museum for Human Rights.

Click this link, or paste it in your browser's address bar, to see the location on Google Maps:

http://maps.google.ca/maps?hl=en&num=10&ie=UTF8&ll=49.890166,-97.128925&spn=0.00508,0.007961&t=h&z=17

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LIBERAL PARTY OF CANADA - MANITOBA
CAMPAIGN MEDIA CONTACT:
The Hon. Sen. Sharon Carstairs
Election Campaign Co-Chair
Cell 509-9542 office 988-9540

LIBERALS SUPPORT RAPID TRANSIT PLAN, WOULD FUND EXTENSION TO U of M

2008-09-08T15:35:00.001-05:00

WINNIPEG - Winnipeg South Centre M.P. Anita Neville and St. Boniface MP Raymond Simard congratulated Premier Gary Doer and Mayor Sam Katz on their rapid transit announcement, adding that a Liberal government would make funding an extension of the rapid transit line to the U of M a priority.

"Liberals first provided nearly $50-million in funding to the City of Winnipeg for Rapid Transit five years ago, and we remain committed to building that line," said Neville. "If we want to really maximize the benefit to riders and the environment, an extension to the U of M needs to be a funding priority," said Neville.

Simard said that a Liberal government under Stéphane Dion would fund the extension as a "green infrastructure" project, because transit reduces greenhouse gases when people bus instead of drive.

Simard added that urban transit suffered a blow under the Harper government, "For a long time, the Conservative's idea of funding transit was tax breaks for bus passes. In an era of skyrocketing gas prices, we need to provide people with a greener option."

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Liberals to Nominate Bob Friesen to Run in Charleswood- St. James - Assiniboia

2008-09-07T16:45:00.002-05:00

Liberals to Nominate Bob Friesen to Run in Charleswood- St. James - Assiniboia

The Liberal Party of Canada (Manitoba) is proud to have Bob Friesen put his name forward as a candidate for Member of Parliament for Charleswood-St. James - Assiniboia, said Campaign Co-Chair the Hon. Senator Sharon Carstairs.

Friesen has served as President of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture. His biography is available at:

http://www.cfa-fca.ca/upload/bio_2007_e.pdf

"Bob has been a tremendous advocate and a powerful voice for farmers, for agriculture, for Manitoba and the Canadian Wheat Board. He will be a tremendous addition to the Liberal team," said Sen. Carstairs.

The nomination meeting will be held at:

Date

Monday, September 8, 2008

Time:

Registration at 7pm

Meeting at 7:30 pm

Location:

St Basil's Ukrainian Catholic Church Hall

202 Harcourt Street, St. James, Winnipeg

Click here to see the location on Google Maps

Harper Kicks off Election by Breaking his Word

2008-09-07T13:37:00.003-05:00

WINNIPEG - In calling an election instead of adhering to his own fixed election law, Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s first act will be breaking his word, say Manitoba Liberals.

In a May 30 2006 government press release, the Conservatives promised that the law would benefit Canadians by “eliminating the ability of governing parties to manipulate the timing of elections for partisan advantage.”

In May, 2006, Harper told CTV that, "Fixed election dates stop leaders from trying to manipulate the calendar. They level the playing field for all parties. The only way we can have justice is to have a fixed election date, because an election without a fixed election date is a tremendous advantage for the party in power."

“When the first thing Stephen Harper does in an election is break his word, how can you believe anything that follows?” said Raymond Simard, MP for St. Boniface “Justice is clearly not a big priority for Mr. Harper.”

Links to the government press release and Mr. Harper’s comments, along with the comments of 23 Conservative MP’s on the importance of fixed election dates follow in the backgrounder.

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BACKGROUNDER

Government press release on the fixed date election law

CTV story with Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s quotes on the election law

Quotes by Conservative Members of Parliament on Fixed Election Dates

Stephen Harper in May 2005:

Fixed election dates stop leaders from trying to manipulate the calendar simply for partisan political advantage.

Government House Leader Peter Van Loan - April 23 2007:

Our government does not believe that the governing party should be permitted to time an election to exploit conditions favourable to its re-election. Bill C-16 would put an end to governance according to poll results. We should not have this wild card situation where the prerogative is strictly in the hands of the prime minister to call an election at his or her advantage.

The Hon. Rob Nicholson - April 26, 2006:

In the current system, the governing party has an unfair advantage over opposition parties with the ability to call elections when that suits its purpose. We have seen this done in the past by federal and provincial governments and parties of all stripes. Governments can call elections to coincide with upturns in the economy after large capital projects have been completed or if they are doing well in the polls. This is clearly an unfair advantage for the governing party. Levelling the playing field is an important aspect of democratic government.

The Hon. Carol Skelton Tuesday Sept 19, 2006

People in my riding often come up to me and say that they do not feel the democratic process is working for them any more. Instead, they say, it is working in the interests of those in power and their friends. With this bill, election dates will no longer be set to benefit the ruling party but set to benefit the people.

Russ Hiebert MP for White Rock B.C. Tuesday Sept 19, 2006:

No longer will the governing party be allowed to manipulate the process. Canadians will benefit from knowing exactly when these fixed elections will occur so they can plan their lives and the businesses around it. It improves governance by removing power from the prime minister's office and devolving it to the people, as it should be.

Jay Hill, House Whip

If a prime minister went against the spirit of this legislation and purely called an election because he or she felt the opportunity was ripe, that the situation for his or her particular political party was very advantageous to go to the polls, I suspect that person would quite likely be punished by the Canadian people in the subsequent election campaign.

John Reynolds, former House Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada

The interest of calling an early election is always to the benefit of the prime minister and the governing party. When we compete for office, the playing field must be even. All parties must be prepared not just one, otherwise we will not end up with a democratic process.

“It is not democracy in action when a prime minister can call an election any time on any day that gives him political advantage.”

Peter MacKay, (Now Minister of Defense) April 27 2004

Without the benefit of fixed election dates, Canadians are in essence at the gunpoint of the Prime Minister, who has the sole authority to set an election date, just as he currently has the sole authority to appoint judges, which is another shortcoming in our system.

If anything, the media have shown us this political jockeying that has gone on between the current Prime Minister and his own cabinet and caucus. Even the most skilled horseman would be in awe at what an advantage there is in being able to jockey up to the starting line and then decide when the starting bell rings.

Elsie Wayne MP, Saint John April 27 2004

Let us look at the costs...Let us look at the cost of having an election whenever the Prime Minister feels he is up in the polls... polls should not determine when we have an election. It should be a fixed date. It should be an election on what we are doing, whether it is right or wrong, and the people of Canada will determine it, as they do at the local level.

Stockwell Day, Okanagan Coquihalla April 27 2004:

Most countries in the world and the UN accept the idea of fixed election dates, as do communist states and dictatorships. Why does the Prime Minister refuse to accept the idea of fixed election dates? Is it because he is a bigger dictator than the ones who rule in dictatorships?

Chuck Strahl April 27 2004

Although it binds the government to a four year cycle and it does tie the hands of the Prime Minister, what is democratic reform unless it takes some of the power away from the Prime Minister?

Deepak Obhrai, Calgary East, April 27 2004

If we have fixed elections dates, then Canadians will make the real choice, not the Prime Minister. That is the difference. Canadians will make the real choice. They will then see that they are connected to this House which sets the rules under which they are governed...

Look at the cost to the country of this ridiculous notion that the only person who can call the election is the Prime Minister and he will only call it when it suits him. We have to give the power back to the people. By having a fixed election date, we would be giving the power back to the people. We would be telling them, this is how it will be and they would decide, not us.

Gurmant Grewal, (Surrey Central):

The discretion to call an election, however, remains a powerful weapon in the armoury of the Prime Minister to use for partisan advantage...

The way the ruling party can control election dates makes up a huge portion of the democratic deficit that has destroyed the faith of many Canadians in their own government.

With careful polling and strategic spending and policies designed to win over key segments of voters, the ruling party gains a huge advantage. On the other hand, the whole country is left in limbo. One just has to imagine 308 candidates multiplied by at least four parties, plus independent candidates. This is compounded by various campaign managers and campaign teams of all the candidates.

Ken Epp, (Elk Island):

The real issue here is that the Prime Minister is the one who gives the Governor General the signal. That has become the convention. Under the pattern of responsible government, it is still up to the Prime Minister on the governing side to make the decision. The Governor General has not, I think in error, refused the dissolution of Parliament on the last two occasions because in each instance the government had a clear majority. The government has a clear majority now. There is no reason for an election. Legally, the Governor General could stop it, but the Prime Minister alone has the prerogative. That is wrong.

Mrs. Lynne Yelich (Blackstrap)

Elections should not be called on the personal whim of a prime minister, depend on favourable political polls, or whatever else the prime minister is worried about. In an era where voter turnout is low, where young people are disenchanted and disinterested in how our country is governed, and where there is great concern about how our tax dollars are spent, such self-serving behaviour is an insult to all Canadians.

Fixed election dates would remove much of the uncertainty we now face. Canadians would not be wondering each day whether the Prime Minister has made a decision...

Pre-election spending sprees would be more identifiable for what they truly are, as would premature campaign visits disguised as government business. There are some who would criticize fixed election dates as too American in style or in nature, that such a system would be inconsistent with the confidence convention that demands a government retain the confidence of a majority of the House of Commons or resign.

Mr. Paul Forseth (New Westminster—Coquitlam—Burnaby, CPC):

In the past, other government have seized on the same discretion on when to call an election to stay in power, long after they have worn out their welcome with the voters.

I say, enough. Certainly we can demand better and expect a higher standard of democracy for Canada.

There is no good reason why political parties should not be able to plan their affairs around a pre-determined calendar. The macro-economy would also benefit from the ability to plan around government budgets and fiscal predictability.

Over the past elections there has been a steady decline in the voter turnout in Canada. Setting a fixed election date would be a simple start to the important process of reforming our electoral system so more Canadians can feel there is a reason to vote...

Within our fixed election proposal, it is still possible for the Prime Minister and the government on their own initiative to consult the people and call an election because of a national controversy where perhaps they need a mandate, for example, to change the Constitution or deal with a separating province, and they are looking for a national resolve on a particular problem.

Gerald Keddy on Septemer 18, 2006:

We have an opportunity to take one of the primary tools that past prime ministers in the country have used like a club. They have gone to the people before their five years were up and every political party has suffered from that. I think the Parliament of Canada has suffered from it. … This is the first Prime Minister who is willing to give up that huge tool in his tool chest … This will level the playing field, it will give democracy more of an opportunity to work and it will be a good thing for the public of Canada.

Dean Del Mastro on November 6, 2006:

I think we recognize that the bill is about levelling the playing field for all parties in the House, not to give the government an advantage to call a snap election when perhaps another party is not ready. It would allow for a better debate on policy and on principle so that all parties could go into an election prepared and our voters could make the best decisions.

Scott Reid on February 19, 2007:

The increased electoral fairness through Bill C-16 … will ensure that elections occur once every four years, not when the prime minister chooses to call them based upon whether his or her party is high in the polls. That was a terrible wrong. It was abused by the previous government repeatedly. This initiative will ensure that it is not abused again.

Barry Devolin on April 30, 2007:

This initiative would ensure that elections occurred once every four years and not just on the whim of a prime minister who might choose to call an election on the basis of whether or not his or her party was high in the polls.

Tom Lukiwski on June 18, 2007:

Far too often we saw political parties in power manipulate the voting system to their advantage. In other words, we saw parties in previous years take a look at the polling numbers and if they determined that it would be to their advantage to have an election earlier rather than later, because the polls happened to be advantageous for them, they would call an election at that time.