Leadership at Home and Abroad

This week, Prime Minister Stephen Harper is meeting with his counterparts at the G-20 Leader’s Summit in Los Cabos, Mexico. International leaders are gathering more frequently in search of solutions as the severity of the economic downturn in Europe deepens.

Along with finance Minister Jim Flaherty, we can be assured that Prime Minister Harper will be sharing our success and urging other G-20 members to follow through on their Cannes Action Plan commitments to address short-term risks and to ensure long-term growth and prosperity.

Canada’s message at the G-20 will be simple; economic growth and fiscal discipline are not mutually exclusive, they go hand in hand.

Our Conservative Government has been consistent in our approach. Coordinated actions are essential when dealing with global recessions. We must respond to near-term risks to the global economy and promote robust growth and job creation.

We have also encouraged G-20 members to follow through on reforms to make the financial system stronger and more resilient. All of this, of course while reaffirming Canada’s commitment to open markets and a fair, strong, rule-based trading system.

During these meetings the Prime Minister will emphasize the balanced stimulus and deficit reduction measures undertaken as part of our Economic Action Plan.

Through coordinated approaches to global financial challenges, the G-20 can help to advance international economic stability, growth, jobs and prosperity.

And that’s a theme we have all heard before. So much so that it was the name of this year’s budget bill. So while the Prime Minister is abroad, sharing our wealth of experience, my caucus colleagues and I will be working hard to ensure passage of our plan here at home.

Last week, in an effort to derail our Plan for Jobs Growth and Long-term Prosperity, the opposition moved to introduce more than 500 amendments on Bill C-38 forcing Members of Parliament to sit in the House of Commons for 24 continuous hours of voting.

However, this has not shaken our resolve or our belief in this plan. This important legislation supports job creation, responsible resource development and encourages vital sectors of the economy.

Canadians have told me that they want their Government to focus on what matters: jobs, growth and economic prosperity. We will continue to deliver on the commitments we made during the election and the reason Canadians sent us to Ottawa to work for them.