Check out the Harper Government Accomplishments.
Since first elected in January 2006, the Conservative Government of Stephen Harper have done a lot that is positive for Canada. Are they perfect? Of course not. But, they are certainly better than the alternative. Below are some 100 examples of policies and legislation, put into place by the Harper Conservatives that, in my opinion, make Canada better than what it was before they were elected.
- Adoption Expense Tax Credit increased — from a one-time $13,100 to 15,000 in 2014 (Link)
- Adult “Basic” Education Northern Initiative — announced by PM Harper on Thursday, Feb. 23rd, 2012 in Iqaluit, for Aboriginal people living in the three territories; (Link)
- Aga Khan and PM Harper open Ismaili Centre and Aga Khan Museum — a multicultural partnership dedicated to artistic & intellectual contributions by Muslims (Link)
- Age of Consent Legislation — raised from 14 to 16 effective May 1, 2008 (Link)
- Air India Final Report of the Commission of Inquiry — PM Harper apologizes to the friends and relatives of all those who died in that disaster (Link)
- Apology to Native People — by the Government of Canada on June 11, 2008 for residential school abuses (Link)
- Arctic All-Season Highway — a 137 kilometer project linking Inuvik and Tuktoyaktuk and the Arctic Ocean for first time (Link)
- Arctic Research Council launched to improve lives for people in the North— for resource development, shipping, marine safety, community infrastructure (Link)
- Benin Foreign Investment & Promotion Protection Agreement (FIPA) — legally binding rights and obligations with respect to investment in effect May 12, 2014 (Link)
- Beyond the Border Agreement with the U.S. — passed in late 2011, on perimeter security co-operation (Link)
- Boundary Dam at Estevan, Saskatchewan — site of carbon capture coal plant receiving $240 million in federal subsidies (Link)
- Canada Apprentice Loan Program — up to $4000 for those registered in any Red Seals apprenticeship training announced in January 2015(Link)
- Canada’s Citizenship Act Amendment — to reduce processing time to less than a year and reducing backlog by over 80% (Link)
- Canada/EU Trade Agreement — although ratification still required, an `End of Negotiations`Agreement signed on September 26, 2014 (Link)
- Canada Student Loan Program expanded — to include shorter-term duration educational programs of at least 34 weeks duration (Link)
- Canadian Wheat Board Monopoly Ends — Bill C18 removed the CWB’s monopoly regarding decisions made by many Western farmers to market their wheat (Link)
- Child Tax Credit — $2000 for every child under eighteen.
- China Foreign Investment Deal (FIPA) — while controversial, sets out legal framework to clarify obligations and rights re investment in Canada (Link)
- Chinese Head Tax Apology— by the government on June 22, 2006 (Link) (Link)
- Chinese Immigrant Provision — of $20,000 to every individual and/or surviving spouses who paid the head tax plus $24 million towards an “historical recognition program”(Link)
- Columbia Free Trade Agreement — went into force on August 15th, 2011 (Link)
- Consumer Product Safety Act — came into effect June 20, 2011 to ensure manufacturers do not market dangerous products (Link)
- Corporate Tax Rate — reduced from 18% to 16.5% effective January 2012, with another 1.5% reduction in 2012 to 15% (Link)
- Corrupt Regimes Act (C-61) – allows Canada to act upon the request of a foreign state to freeze the assets that their former leaders and members of their entourage, including family members, senior officials and associates, may have placed in Canadian financial institutions (Link)
- Czech Republic Foreign Investment Promotion & Protection Agreement (FIPA)— went into force January 22nd, 2012 (Link)
- Devolution of Land & Resources in the Northwest Territories — from the federal government to the Government took place on April 1st, 2014 with the legislation receiving Royal Assent on March 25, 2014 (Link) (Link)
- Disability Savings Plan — part of the 2007 budget, it was fully implemented in December, 2008 (Link)
- Ebola Virus Eradication — Conservative gov’t committed $ 113.4 million to support health & humanitarian efforts in Western Africa (Link)
- Eeyou Marine Region Land Claims Agreement — between Canada, Nunavut and Grand Council of the Crees (Link)
- Employer Caregiver’s Plan — called the CECP, it is an attempt to help employers help employees who have caring responsibilities (Link)
- Employment Insurance Premiums Reduced — in the fall of 2014 by 15% for to encourage small businesses to hire (Link)
- Exploited Persons Act — legislation that received Royal Assent to protect against drug, organized or prostitution type of crime (Link)
- Express Entry Immigration into Canada Program — when skilled immigrants to Canada will get quick entry so that they can contribute to economy (Link) (Link)
- Fair Representation Act — Bill C-20 became law on Dec. 16, 2011 and will come into effect for the 2015 federal election (338 seats in total rather than the current 308) (Link)
- Fair Elections Act — requires Chief Electoral Officer to lay out clear electoral guidelines became law on June 19, 2014 (Link) (Link) (Link)
- Fairness at the Pumps Act (C-14) – protects Canadian consumers from inaccurate measurements when purchasing gasoline effective August 2014 (Link) (Link)
- Family Caregiver Tax Credit — Bill C-13 established a new $2000 tax credit on December 15, 2011 to help families dealing with challenging medical expenses (Link)
- Family Income Splitting — families with children under 18 will be allowed to split income beginning in 2014 up to $50,000 with credit capped at $2000.00 (Link)
- Federal Infrastructure Plan — longest long-term plan in Canadian history supporting projects that enhance economic growth, job creation and productivity (Link) (Link)
- First Nations Transparency Act — passed on March 27th, 2013 and requires all First Nations to post financial records and documents on a website as of July 1st, 2014 (Link)
- Food Labelling Initiative — to clarify and modernize labelling on food products, including “Product of Canada” and “Made in Canada” claims (Link)
- Forest Market Opportunity Program — supporting innovation and diversification in the forest sector until March 2016 (Link)
- Free Trade Agreement — signed on July 2, 2009 — between Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland (Link)
- Gun Registry Scrapped — as the legislation passed Third Reading (Link) (Royal Assent)
- Gender Equity in Indian Registration — legislation that addresses a court ruling on gender discrimination in the Indian Act (Link)
- GIS Improvements — for seniors in 2006, changed to allow for higher earned income — (Link)
- GST /HST– Goods & Services Tax Cut — From 7% to 6% and then to 5% (Link)
- Haiti’s Debt to Canada Cancelled — on June 25, 2010, at the G8 meeting in Huntsville (Link)
- Honduras Free Trade Agreement — completed and signed on November 5th, 2013 and will enter into force on June 19, 2014 (Link) (Link) (Link)
- Identity Theft Legislation– (Bill S-4) — received Royal Assent on October 27, 2009 — for obtaining and possessing identity information, trafficking in that information or unlawfully possessing or trafficking in gov’t documents (Link)
- Immigration and Refugee Protection Act Amendment (C-35) – to crack down on crooked immigration consultants who exploit prospective immigrants and undermine the integrity of Canada’s immigration system (Link)
- Income Splitting for Canadian Seniors — a change to the Income Tax Act for pensioners starting in 2006 (Link)
- Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement signed (Link)
- Infrastructure “New Building Canada Plan” — $53 Billion to support the renewal and construction of municipal infrastructure (Link) (Link)
- International Child & Maternal Health at U.N.– $3.5 billion committed for 2015-2020, building on Muskoka 2010 – 2015 initiative (Link) (Link) (Link)
- Internet Spam Protection — signed December 15, 2010 to protect consumers and business from the most harmful and misleading forms of online threats (Link)
- Jordan Free Trade Agreement — went into force on October 1st, 2012 (Link)
- Kid’s sport tax credit — up to $500 per child (Link)
- Kruger Mill Investment in Trois Rivieres, Quebec — Government to provide $15 million towards development of first cellulose filament production facility (Link)
- Kuwait Foreign Investment Promotion & Protection Agreement (FIPA) — went into force February 19, 2014 (Link)
- Land Claim Agreements with First Nations — over 800 claims concluded since the gov’t came into power (See progress chart at this Link)
- Latvia Foreign Investment Promotion & Protection Agreement (FIPA) — went into force November 24, 2011 (Link)
- Manley Report — approved (Report — click for PDF file at link)
- Mental Health Commission of Canada — established and incorporated as a non-profit corporation in March of 2007 (Link)
- Mission Against ISIL extended March 30, 2015 — to aid the people of Iraq and Syria (Link)
- Missing Persons DNA Index — $8.1 million allocated to develop, over 5 years, help matching missing persons to their families (Link)
- Northern Regional Development Economic Agency — announced by Prime Minister Stephen Harper on Tuesday, August 18th, 2009 in Iqaluit, Nunavut (Link)
- Nunavik Inuit Land Claims — Agreement (Link)
- Offshore Health & Safety Act — Bill C-5 to implement Newfoundland and Nova Scotia Atlantic offshore accord with Royal Assent June 19, 2014 (Link)
- Ombudsman for Victims of Crime — Established (Link)
- On-reserve schools grant of $500 million — in 2014 to be available from investment of $5.8 billion Infrastructure Fund (Link)
- Panama Free Trade Agreement — went into force on April 1st, 2013 (Link)
- Peru – Canada Free Trade Agreement — adopted by Parliament June 18, 2009 (Link)
- Prime Minister Harper’s speech to Israeli Parliament — on January 20, 2014 (Link)
- Protecting Victims from Sexual Offenders — signed on December 15, 2010 to protect children against sexual predators (Link)
- Public transit tax credits (Link)
- Red Tape Reduction Act — passed in 2014 to make sure the One-for-One rule in law (Link)
- Research Excellence Fund for post-secondary institutions — $1.5 billion competitively available that results in long-term economic advantages for Canada (Link)
- Romania Foreign Investment Promotion & Protection Agreement (FIPA) — went into effect November 23rd, 2011 (Link)
- Rotary Foundation Polio Eradication Award — in 2014 to PM Harper for the millions the Conservative gov’t has contributed to eradicate the disease (Link)
- Safe Streets & Communities Act — passed March June 13, 2012 to protect children and communities against terrorism (Link) (Link)
- Self-employ Fairness Act — (Bill C-56) — provides special benefits to the self employed on a volunteer basis (Link)
- Slovak Republic Foreign Investment Promotion & Protection Agreement (FIPA) — went into effect March 14, 2012 (Link)
- Small Business Tax reduction — through a Job Credit to lower EI premiums (Link)
- Small Craft Harbours Improvement Fund — provides an investment of $10.6 million (Link)
- Softwood Lumber Agreement (Bill C-24) (Link)
- South Korea Free Trade Agreement Signed on September 22, 2014 — 1st Asia Pacific Agreement with final legislative steps for full implementation on November 26, 2014 (Link) (Link)
- Tanzania Government Foreign Investment Promotion & Protection Agreement (FIPA) — went into effect December 9th, 2013 (Link)
- Tax cuts made 60 Times — since the Conservatives took office in 2006 (Link)
- Tax Free Savings Account with an initial annual limit of $5500.00 — whichwas raised to $10,000 in April 2015 budget (Link) (Link)
- Taxpayers Bill of Rights (Link)
- Taxpayers Ombudsman (Link)
- Temporary Foreign Workers Program — reforms made so that Canadians are hired first (Link)
- Ukrainian & Eastern European immigrants — Gov’t to distribute $10 million to educate Canadians about the internment in Canadian work camps during WWI (Link)
- Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko invited to speak in House of Commons — indicating PM Harper`s full support of the Ukrainian people (Link)
- UN Global Fund contribution for mothers, newborns and young children — $540 million pledged for 2015-2020 by PM Harper and added to the $1.5 billion already promised at the G8 summit in Muskoka and G20 in Toronto, it is the largest contribution ever made by Canada to an international health institution (Link) A further commitment was made in 2014 for the 2015-2020 period for $3.5 billion.
- Universal Child Care Benefit — in 2006 $1,200.00 per year for every child under age six (Link)
- Universal Child Care Benefit Enhancement — effective January 1st, 2015, beginning July 1st, 2015, parents will receive $160.00 per child per month and $100.00 for children aged 6 to 17 (Link)
- Victims Bill of Rights — Bill C-32 passed on June 18th, 2014 — (Link) (Link)
- White Collar Crime Act — Bill C-21 was reintroduced after the May 2, 2011 federal election and became law on November 1, 2011 (Link)
hat tip canadianelection2015.wordpress.com via http://newswatchcanada.ca/
