Real people.  Real issues.  Real action.  Real leadership.

April 16, 2008

Canadians work hard: they pay their taxes and they play by the rules. They don’t expect government to do it all, but they do want to know that their government is on their side.

Canadians want to know that their government gets how expensive it is to own a home, raise a family and save for the future.

They want to know that their government gets how concerned they are about the worsening gun, gang and drug crime that threatens far too many streets and neighbourhoods.

They want to know that their government gets how worried they are about the air they breathe, the water they drink, the food they eat and the multitude of products they come into contact with everyday.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the Conservative Government get it. And real Canadian families are seeing real results.

The Harper Conservative Government is acting to make day-to-day life more affordable for working families.

This spring, we’ve delivered billions of dollars in retroactive tax relief through tax refunds to individuals and families.

The average working family is saving hundreds of dollars in lower income taxes and will keep hundreds more thanks to the Conservative Government’s two point reduction in the GST. Canadian workers who purchase their own tools, commuters who ride public transit, or parents who enrol their children in kids' sports will save even more.

In addition, over two million families are receiving the $1200 per year child care benefit to spend on their own priorities.

Now the Harper Conservative Government is helping Canadian families save even more by introducing the most powerful personal investment tool since the introduction of the RSP: Tax-Free Savings Accounts. These accounts reward Canadians for doing the right thing when they save for a home, a car, or the future.

The Conservative Government is acting to keep Canadian families safe.

We have also passed the most comprehensive anti-crime bill in Canada’s history, the Tackling Violent Crime Act.

This law makes it harder for accused gun criminals to receive bail. It ensures that those who are convicted of gun crimes stay behind bars longer. It protects young teenagers from sexual predators. And it cracks down on people who drive under the influence of alcohol and drugs.

Now the Harper Conservative Government has also introduced new legislation to toughen the penalties for auto theft, a crime that affects growing numbers of Canadians through higher insurance premiums and time-wasting insurance hassles. The Harper Conservative anti-auto theft bill targets auto thieves by making it a crime to even tamper with a Vehicle Identification Number.

The Conservative Government is also acting to protect Canadians’ health and well being.

This spring, we unveiled aggressive regulations to combat climate change. Our regulations demand that every major industry reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. For years, Liberal governments stood idle while greenhouse gas emissions grew and grew. No more. Canada has finally turned the corner and all Canadians will benefit – today and tomorrow.

Now, the Harper Conservative Government has also unveiled Canada’s first product recall law to protect Canadians from unsafe imports and products. The law will hold manufacturers and importers fully accountable for the products they sell to Canadians; it will also empower the federal government to immediately pull unsafe products from Canadian store shelves.

While Stephen Harper and the Conservatives have taken real action and shown real leadership on the real issues that matter to real people, the Stéphane Dion Liberals have been out-of-touch and off-the-job; saying one thing but doing another when the time comes to stand up and be counted in the House of Commons.

Canadians face a clear choice: strong leadership on the issues that matter to ordinary people or an out-of-touch and off-the-job Liberal opposition.