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Harper Promotes Benefits of Conservative Platform for Atlantic Canada |
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Written by Conservative Party of Canada
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Monday, 16 January 2006 |
Conservative leader Stephen Harper today promoted the benefits of his platform for Atlantic Canada. He outlined the values of a Conservative government, including integrity, family, respect for work, achievement and a commitment to a strong and free Canada.
“Instead of making phoney promises of huge benefits that never happen, we will deliver genuine, practical benefits that people can see,” Harper said. “Our plan contains many policies that are rooted in values – values which matter to me, values which matter to all Canadians, and values which have and will endure.”
A Conservatives government would make significant investment in Atlantic Canada as part of its “Canada First” defence policy. This includes:
* Improving and enlarging the Atlantic fleet;
* Recruiting 1,000 regular force personnel for the Atlantic fleet;
* Increasing the forces in CFB Gagetown;
* Establishing a rapid reaction battalion at CFB Goose Bay;
* New aircraft and personnel for CFB Greenwood; and
* Increasing territorial defence capability in large Atlantic cities including St. John’s, Newfoundland; Halifax, Nova Scotia; and Saint John, New Brunswick.
A Conservative government will protect Atlantic fisheries, giving more control to the provinces over the fisheries, investing in fisheries science, protecting Canadian waters from over-fishing, restoring weather forecasting in Gander, and exempting from capital gains tax the first $500,000 worth of fishing property transferred within a family.
A Conservative government will maintain current levels of funding for Employment Insurance and ACOA, and will also set up a new Highways and Borders Infrastructure Fund that will be of particular importance to Atlantic Canada, where many transportation links are in need of improvement.
“Whether it is sitting down and working out a deal to clean up the Saint John Harbour, getting to the bottom of the Agent Orange affair, or improving our national highways, we will stand up for Atlantic Canadians,” Harper said. |
