Truro, Nova Scotia
15 May 2015
Thank you very much everyone for that tremendous Nova Scotia welcome.
It's always great to be back in Truro.
I've known Truro for a long time.
I haven't been here many times; I was here many, many years ago, long before I was in politics.
When we were growing up my dad, of course, was from Moncton, New Brunswick, and we had all kinds of friends from the Maritimes.
And one family we were very close to was named the Fawcetts.
The Harpers and the Fawcetts went way back, many generations in the Maritimes in sort of Westmorland Albert area.
And Mister Fawcetts' wife was Mrs. Fawcett, Gertrude Fawcett, whose... unfortunately whose maiden name I do not know, but who came from Truro, Nova Scotia.
So she was always talking about Truro.
Seems like a great place.
Anyway, it's great to be back in this special community.
Also thanks to your Member of Parliament, Scott Armstrong, for that warm introduction.
But thanks for more than that.
Scott, as you all know, had a distinguished career in public education, but in 2009 he decided to run for the Cumberland–Colchester–Musquodoboit seat in the House of Commons.
He did so on a promise to get funds for this beautiful building.
Well, he worked hard and he worked smart, and consequently, five years ago, our Government announced that we would make the Central Nova Civic Centre a reality.
And here it is.
A beautiful building.
Now called the Rath Eastlink Community Centre, the citizens of Truro and region now enjoy its NHL sized ice surface, the aquatic center, exercise track, fitness center, as well as concerts, trade shows, and community gatherings.
And so I think all we can say is to Scott, what tremendous work.
Great work Scott for this great area.
I also want to thank… Well I also want to thank everybody who has come here.
I know there's so many and they've already been named.
All the mayors and municipal councillors and officials, all the provincial members of the legislature who are here, all of our candidates, and all of my parliamentary colleagues.
But I do, in particular, want to single out our MC for this event.
Without a doubt there are few Nova Scotia federal politicians who have done more for their home province since Confederation than the Honourable Peter MacKay.
And I'm not going to list all the portfolios he's had and all he's done; it's very impressive.
I will just mention one possible exception.
One possible exception might be Cumberland's own Charles Tupper, since he was the one who helped bring Nova Scotia into Confederation in the first place.
I think, therefore, talking about Peter and Charles Tupper there can be no better place than here to give further details of our intention, first announced in Economic Action Plan 2015 – this year – to support communities as part of the 150th commemorations of Confederation.
I am therefore pleased to confirm that, as part of our plans for 2017, our Government is creating a new dedicated fund to be called the Canada 150 Community Infrastructure Program to support, renovate, expand, and improve vital community assets right across this country.
Curling rinks, arenas, walking trails and bike routes, theaters and community halls, in small towns and big cities alike.
These are places where people come together.
They are literally the beating hearts of the communities we live in.
This fund will be open to proposals from any group that contributes to such community life, including municipalities, local organizations, non-profits.
Under the Canada 150 Community Infrastructure Fund, we anticipate funding up to 1800 projects across right across this country over the next two years.
The regional development agencies, here in Atlantic Canada obviously the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, ACOA, run by Rob, will oversee the applications process and ensure projects are handled in a timely and efficient manner.
Won't that… You know, really look at this.
Won't that be a great way to celebrate the 150th anniversary of our country?
Of course there are other benefits.
The Canada 150 Community Infrastructure Program, like all such programs, will also stimulate economic activity and create jobs.
In other words, it is a logical extension of our Government's broader Economic Action Plan, particularly our emphasis and our record investments that we are making in infrastructure.
Since coming to office – I'm just going to go over the framework of that because we've done an awful lot in this field.
Since coming to office we have extended, doubled, indexed, and made permanent the Gas Tax Fund that pays for community infrastructure all across the province.
And you know, we have great municipal partners here who I know deliver that.
We have great provincial partners who contribute to that plan and to identifying priorities.
But let me just remind you ladies and gentlemen, whenever you hear a local announcement with the Gas Tax Fund, that's all 100 percent money from the government of Canada.
So always remember that.
Peter wanted me to say that.
Here in a Nova Scotia municipalities have benefited from over $350 million through the federal Gas Tax Fund.
But in 2007, we launched our first long-term, standalone, infrastructure investment program, the seven-year Building Canada Fund.
Supplemented during the global economic recession, it helped to secure the economic stability of our country and the financial well-being of Canadian families at that time.
As that first Building Canada Plan was coming to an end, we held widespread consultations across the country.
From that review we launched the new Building Canada Plan.
It is now a ten-year plan that, with the supplementary amounts, supplementary programs we have recently announced in the fall and in the budget, it amounts now to some $80 billion over the next decade.
It will be for roads and bridges, airports and wharves, major national public works, and small committee projects.
For Nova Scotia, this alone will represent more than $1 billion in dedicated federal funding.
Nova Scotia will also benefit from the additional federal infrastructure funding announced last November to the tune of more than one quarter of $1 billion.
Some examples of what this has financed: in Burwick, the community arena was renovated.
More passing lanes on Route 101 meaning safer roads.
In St. Mary's, a new energy efficient public administration office.
We funded Marine Atlantic, for two big capital projects.
And the Department of National Defence plans on $146 million for infrastructure improvements across just Atlantic Canada alone.
So here's my point, dear friends.
Our Conservative government is today implementing the longest, largest, by far, national infrastructure investment program in the history of this country.
In fact, since we came to office in 2006, we have raised ongoing federal infrastructure investment to a level three times higher than any previous national government.
And as a percentage of our national income it is also the largest infrastructure investment being made by any G-7 country.
Now I mention all of these things and put it in that perspective because I hear on occasion – you may hear – other politicians suddenly discovering infrastructure and promising to spend even more on it than we are.
But, friends, our Government has done all of the infrastructure things I have just told you about while also lowering your taxes and balancing the budget.
So when others promise to do even more we know what that really means.
If they actually did it, it would mean higher taxes and a return to deficits.
That's what a lot of other countries are doing, and look at the mess they have created.
Our approach, the Canadian approach, is working, and that's why Canada is so much stronger than so many other countries.
Our Economic Action Plan continues to deliver major investments in infrastructure projects across the country, while it creates and protects more jobs.
At the same time, our Plan lays the foundation for longer-term prosperity by building the modern infrastructures that we will need in the future.
In fact, since the depths of the recession, the Canadian economy has added 1.2 million net new jobs.
1.2 million more Canadians working now than ever before.
Our economy is substantially larger than it was pre-recession with the federal tax take now at its lowest level in more than half a century.
These are things we can all be proud of.
Now, my friends, in closing let us remember this.
Infrastructure is more than bricks and mortar.
It is a powerful engine for economic development and it is a vital center for community life.
And with beautiful buildings like this one it helps reinforce our pride and our attachment to not just our communities but to our home and native land, never so strong and free and united.
And we look forward to celebrating its 150th anniversary in many different ways... in the many different ways as we often talk about building a better Canada.
And 1800 projects from coast to coast to coast is a next great step to take us, together, as a nation.
So thank you all for being here and for your reception.
