Alice Wong, MP

Harper Government Supports Yonex Canada Open 2011

RICHMOND, BC, July 21, 2011 – The Honourable Alice Wong, Minister of State (Seniors) and Member of Parliament (Richmond), on behalf of the Honourable Bal Gosal, Minister of State (Sport), today announced the Government of Canada’s contribution to the Yonex Canada Open 2011, an elite-level badminton tournament to be held July 19 to 24 in Richmond, British Columbia.

“Our Government is proud to support Badminton Canada in hosting the Yonex Canada Open 2011,” said Minister Gosal. “Headlined by world-class Canadian and international badminton stars, this event will surely be thrilling for competitors and fans alike.”

“Holding world-class events such as this not only benefits Canadian athletes and other participants from around the globe, but it also has a positive impact on the local economy and the community,” said Minister of State Wong. “Once again, the City of Richmond, organizers, and volunteers are welcoming the world to this 2010 Winter Games legacy facility.”

More than 250 athletes from 35 countries will be competing in the six-day event at the Richmond Olympic Oval, including Canada’s most promising hopefuls for the London 2012 Olympic Games.

The Government of Canada is the single largest contributor to sport in Canada and supports participation and excellence from the playground to the podium. A contribution of $15,000 was provided to Badminton Canada for the Yonex Canada Open 2011 through Sport Canada’s Hosting Program.

For further information:

Jenny Van Alstyne
Director of Communications
Office of the Honourable Bal Gosal, P.C., M.P.
Minister of State (Sport)
819-934-1122
jenny.van.alstyne@pch.gc.ca

Media Relations
Canadian Heritage
819-994-9101
1-866-569-6155
media@pch.gc.ca

TORONTO — Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources, the Honourable Joe Oliver, and Jacques Gourde, Member of Parliament for Lotbinière–Chutes-de-la-Chaudière, announced today that the Harper Government has renewed the popular ecoENERGY Retrofit – Homes program. This initiative is helping Canadians save on home improvements and energy costs while protecting the environment.

“Our Government is committed to easing the burden of high energy costs on Canadians and putting more money back in their pockets,” said Minister Oliver. “With this program, Canadians can make their homes more energy-efficient and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Canada.”

“Canadians can apply today,” said MP Gourde, speaking in Quebec City. “Especially during summer and construction season, we want as many Canadians as possible to take advantage of this grant.”

Until March 31, 2012, homeowners may be eligible to receive grants of up to $5,000 to make their homes more energy-efficient. The program could help up to 250,000 Canadian homeowners improve their homes’ energy efficiency and generate as much as $4 billion in economic activity across Canada.

Prior to Budget 2011, the Government of Canada provided retrofit incentives to over half a million Canadians. Homeowners who participated in the program saved an average of 20 percent on their energy bills.

For more information, visit ecoaction.gc.ca/homes or call 1-800-O-Canada (800-622-6232). TTY: 1-800-926-9105. Grant amounts are listed in the “Grant Table for ecoENERGY Retrofit – Homes.”

CANADIANS ARE INVITED TO SHARE THEIR PRIORITIES FOR THE 2012 FEDERAL BUDGET

Ottawa, June 27, 2011 -

Today, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance is inviting Canadians to participate in its annual pre-budget consultation process. The Committee will invite witnesses to appear at hearings in Ottawa and in the communities indicated below. The results of our consultations, including our recommendations, will be tabled in the House of Commons in December 2011. The suggestions by Canadians and by the Committee will be considered by the Minister of Finance in the development of the 2012 federal budget.

Experience has shown that, following a financial crisis, economic stagnation may occur. Although Canada did relatively better that most industrialized countries during the recent global financial and economic crisis, the nation’s economic recovery is likely to be affected by a range of global and domestic factors and uncertainties: the fragile recovery in the United States, high levels of debt in some European countries, natural disasters, the withdrawal of fiscal stimulus measures, the impact of a strong Canadian dollar on various sectors and the rising indebtedness of Canadian households, among others.

In this context, and bearing in mind the fiscal situation of the federal government, the Committee is interested in receiving the views of individuals and groups about four primary issues: how to achieve a sustained economic recovery in Canada, how to create quality sustainable jobs, how to ensure relatively low rates of taxation, and how to achieve a balanced budget. In particular, the thoughts and suggestions of Canadians about how to attain high levels of job growth and business investment in order to ensure shared prosperity and a high standard of living for all are being sought.

If you wish to appear before the Committee during the pre-budget consultations, please send an email to the Clerk of the Committee no later than Friday, July 29, 2011 and indicate three locations where you are willing to appear. The individuals and groups invited to make a presentation to the Committee will be contacted by the Committee Clerk, on behalf of Committee members, no later than the third week of September.

The deadline to submit the accompanying written brief is no later than Friday, August 12, 2011 in order that the brief can be translated and distributed to Committee members. You are able to submit a brief even if you do not wish to appear before the Committee. Briefs should be no longer than five pages in length, should include an executive summary, should contain a maximum of three recommendations that reflect your most important federal tax or program spending priorities, and should – where possible – indicate the expected federal cost of your proposal and/or ideas on areas in which federal spending could be reduced.

In the event that briefs contain more than three recommendations, or three recommendations that contain a number of parts, only the first three recommendations or the first part of a multi-part recommendation will be considered by the Committee.

The July 29, 2011 and August 12, 2011 deadlines must be respected in order for the Committee to plan its work; consequently, exceptions are not possible.

The Committee hopes to hold public hearings in the following cities:

* Whitehorse, Yukon
* Prince Rupert, British Columbia
* Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
* Windsor, Ontario
* Toronto, Ontario
* Montreal, Quebec
* St. John’s, Newfoundland
* Moncton, New Brunswick

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For more information, please contact:
Guyanne L. Desforges, Clerk of the Standing Committee on Finance
Tel: 613-992-9753
E-mail: FINA@parl.gc.ca

SUPPORTING CANADA’S SENIORS

Minister of State (Seniors) Alice Wong today will highlight that more than 680,000 of Canada’s lowest-income seniors will now benefit from the most significant increase to the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) in 25 years. The GIS increase is the latest measure the government has taken to support Canada’s seniors.

Since 2006 the government has provided over $2.3 billion in annual tax relief for seniors and pensioners, removed 380 000 seniors from the tax rolls completely, introduced pension income splitting, ushered in an automatic renewal of the GIS, made significant investments in affordable housing for low-income seniors and doubling the pension income credit.

As pledged in the Speech from the Throne, the government will also combat elder abuse in all its forms and raise awareness of this serious issue.

The Targeted Initiative for Older Workers has been extended, and mandatory retirement age for federally-regulated employees has been eliminated, giving seniors who want to remain active in the workforce the freedom to make that choice.

The government received a strong mandate from Canadians to improve seniors’ quality of life. Alice Wong is working hard to ensure that policies, programs and services continue to provide opportunities for seniors to improve their well-being and quality of life.

On July 1, 2011, Canada celebrates its 144th birthday. The following is a video from Alice Wong:

The player will show in this paragraph

The following is a transcript:

Hello, I’m Alice Wong, Member of Parliament for Richmond and Minister of State for Seniors.

Canada Day is a day for celebration with family and friends. Canadians celebrate this day in many ways, but most importantly, it’s about celebrating the country we love. Canadians are guided by shared beliefs in freedom and democracy and we take pride in those values. This Canada Day, let’s consider how fortunate we really are to be Canadian. I wish you and your family a memorable and safe Canada Day.