REPORT FROM PARLIAMENT

It would be putting it lightly to say it’s been quite a week on Parliament Hill. I shared your shock and outrage as the Opposition members teamed up to create the Liberal-NDP-Separatist coalition. I can tell you that in my over 10 years as your Member of Parliament for Battlefords-Lloydminster, I have never experienced anything like it. Emotions on Parliament Hill ran high and your calls and emails clearly indicated you were not prepared to stand by and let this happen.

Folks, let’s be clear. The coalition had nothing to do with our economy and everything to do with a greedy grab for unearned power. That said, the Governor General did what is in the best interest of all Canadians and agreed to prorogue parliament. I agree it provides a much-needed cooling off period for all MPs, hopefully invoking some of the goodwill of the festive season. The House of Commons will resume January 26, but be assured the work of government continues at full speed. Over the next eight weeks, we’ll be knuckling down, rolling up our sleeves and bringing forward a budget that will see our country through these uncertain times. We welcome input from Opposition members but it’s time for strong leadership and a steady hand on the wheel, not for a dangerous change in government.

You, and the constituents of my colleagues, have sent us a clear message that in dealing with the economy, we need to take the time to get it right, to work with the provinces and industry and get their input. It’s a sharp contrast to the shotgun approach of the coalition which would not help the economy, the country or the Canadian taxpayers. Our economic stimulus package began months ago, aimed at the expected downturn in the economy, a slide which we saw coming. We cut taxes, paid down debt and we’ve seen significant job growth. Countries that ignored the signs did so at their own peril. We now are recognized by many countries as a nation that took the right action early on and is in the enviable position of having one of the strongest economies across the globe.

With our strengthened mandate from the Canadian voters, we presented the now historic Fall Economic Update which took a stable, balanced approach to the economic situation. Federal departments and agencies must cut back on spending but not at the expense of federal transfers for health and social services. Those dollars will continue to flow to the provinces and municipalities and even increase in line with economic growth - delivering services for your families and business. Our expanded spending on infrastructure will also be fast-tracked to ensure projects can begin as soon as possible.

Canada is not immune to the global woes but there are fiscal indicators which show our economy is much stronger than portrayed by the Opposition and in the media. In the last quarter, our GDP was up and jobs were created - and I know Saskatchewan continues to experience unprecedented growth.

Canada was the last country to experience economic downtown, we will weather it better than most and we will be the first to recover, emerging stronger than ever.

Hon. Gerry Ritz is the Member of Parliament for Battlefords-Lloydminster www.gerryritzmp.ca