As we celebrate with our families this Family Day, I wanted to follow through on my promise to continue to update you on some of the things I have been working on, on your behalf. In my 2011 Year End Report (available at www.leonbenoit.ca), I outlined some of the major accomplishments which stood out for me, however there were too many to cover fully and I wanted to address some of the key topics which will continue to be priorities for us over the coming months and years – including measures we have taken to support families and communities.

WE’RE TAKING ACTION TO SUPPORT FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES BY:

• raising the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) by $600 a year for those seniors who rely financially almost exclusively on their Old Age Security and the GIS;
• introducing Pooled Registered Pension Plans (PRPPs) to help Canadians who do not have an employer-sponsored retirement plan, including the self-employed;
• enhancing the New Horizons for Seniors Program to support projects that ensure seniors have opportunities to contribute to their communities;
• introducing a Family Caregiver Tax Credit and Children’s Arts Tax Credit to support Canadian families;
• removing the limit on the amount of eligible expenses that caregivers can claim under the Medical Expense Tax Credit in respect of financially dependent relatives;
• introducing a Volunteer Firefighters Tax Credit for volunteer firefighters who perform at least 200 hours of service in their communities;
• extending the ecoENERGY Retrofit – Homes program to help homeowners make their homes more energy efficient, reducing the burden of high energy costs; and
• reintroducing legislation to protect privacy during commercial transactions.

WE’RE TAKING ACTION TO PROMOTE THE HEALTH OF CANADIANS BY:

• attracting doctors and nurses to underserved rural and remote communities by forgiving a portion of their Canada Student Loans;
• increasing labour mobility for nurses so they can practice their profession anywhere in Canada, wherever opportunities or labour shortages may exist; and
• introducing tough new warning messages for tobacco products.

WE’RE PROTECTING A CLEAN ENVIRONMENT BY:

• renewing the ecoENERGY Retrofit – Homes program for one additional year to help homeowners make their homes more energy efficient and reduce the burden of high energy costs;
• supporting the development of new clean technology projects through Sustainable Development Technology Canada;
• renewing funding for research, development and demonstrations of clean energy and energy efficiency;
• expanding eligibility for the accelerated capital cost allowance for clean energy generation equipment;
• supporting Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC), which has supported more than 220 projects to develop or commercialize clean technology;
• aligning deduction rates for intangible capital expenses in oil sands projects with rates in the conventional oil and gas sector;
• investing in Carbon Capture and Storage technology in Alberta;
• adopting the Integrated Plan for Oil Sands Monitoring; and
• reducing electricity sector emissions by moving forward with regulations for the coal-fired electricity sector.

WE’RE TAKING ACTION FOR ABORIGINAL CANADIANS BY:

• introducing legislation to ensure that all Canadians, including members of First Nations, receive transparency and accountability from their elected officials;
• introducing legislation to protect matrimonial interests and rights on reserves; and
• remaining active in the community (Prime Minister Stephen Harper was named Honorary Chief of the First Nations Blood Tribe of Alberta, and was given the name Chief Speaker, or Ninayh’poaskin).

Additionally, our Government is doing everything we can to keep cutting costs across the board, so that Canadians will pay less tax. In the coming weeks, my quarterly newsletter will be arriving at households around the constituency, identifying areas where you can save on your federal income tax.

As well, I encourage all constituents to participate in one or more of the town halls I will be hosting the week of February 20th. I welcome your feedback about what is working, what could be improved, and suggestions about cost-neutral or non-spending steps the federal government might undertake to help create jobs and promote economic growth. Once the dates, locations and times have been confirmed the information will be posted on my website at www.leonbenoit.ca.

I look forward to seeing you there.