The post Budget Implementation Act 2014 Speech – October 30, 2014 appeared first on Hon. Laurie Hawn.

The post MP Hawn Speech on Canada-Honduras Economic Growth and Prosperity Act appeared first on Hon. Laurie Hawn.

Edmonton, AB – Today, the Honourable Laurie Hawn, PC, CD, MP for Edmonton Centre, on behalf of the Honourable Michelle Rempel, Minister of State for Western Economic Diversification (WD), joined the Downtown Edmonton Community League to celebrate the grand opening of their newly renovated facility, which received support under the federal government’s Community Infrastructure Improvement Fund (CIIF).

“It is with investments in projects such as this that we are helping boost economic activity and maintain a high quality of life for Canadians. This is by no means the largest investment our Government has made in Edmonton, but in collaboration with Edmonton’s community spirit, and tremendous sense of volunteerism, we can work together to continue building this great city,” said MP Laurie Hawn.

Economic Action Plan 2012 promised further support to help communities across the country modernize their infrastructure. Our Government committed $150 million over two years to improve existing community infrastructure accessible for use by the public, such as community centres, recreational buildings, local arenas, cultural and other community facilities.

“I am proud to take part in the grand opening of this beautiful facility, which is a tremendous benefit to our community, bringing families and residents together,” concluded MP Hawn.

Since 2006, the Government of Canada, through WD, has invested in job-creating small- and medium-sized businesses, aerospace, marine and defence companies and supported innovative entrepreneurs in pursuing emerging markets. By continuing to promote new economic opportunities, WD is helping to create jobs, economic growth, and long-term prosperity.

The post Government of Canada Celebrates Community Infrastructure Milestone in Edmonton appeared first on Hon. Laurie Hawn.

MP Hawn does his first video blog back in Ottawa to kick off the new session of Parliament. This edition focuses on measures laid out in the Speech From The Throne, as well as a call to action to take part in the upcoming Edmonton civic elections on October 21, 2013.

Full text of the Speech From The Throne can be found here – http://www.speech.gc.ca/eng/full-speech

The post The Hawn Report VLOG – Throne Speech Edition appeared first on Hon. Laurie Hawn.

MP Laurie Hawn gives a speech in the House of Commons on June 3rd, laying out important details from Budget 2013 and explaining how it will continue to keep Canada’s economy on the right track.

The post Budget 2013 Implementation Act appeared first on Hon. Laurie Hawn.

MP Laurie Hawn does his weekly video blog from Parliament Hill in Ottawa. In this edition he discusses Budget 2013, fundraisers in Edmonton, recent funding announcements, and spending the upcoming weekend in Ottawa.

The post The Hawn Report VLOG – May 3 appeared first on Hon. Laurie Hawn.

Ottawa, ON – Today, the Hon. Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance unveiled the next phase of Economic Action Plan 2013, a plan for jobs, growth and long term prosperity to the House of Commons. Budget 2013 commits to returning to a budgetary surplus by 2015 without raising taxes on Canadians.

Skills training and job creation are the central theme of Budget 2013. The Government is introducing the Canada Job Grant that will transform the way Canadians receive training by potentially providing $15,000 or more per person. This Grant will work by matching funds with provincial governments and employers to ensure Canadians are able to access the training they need to get jobs in high-demand fields.  Once implemented it is expected to provide nearly 130,000 Canadians each year with access to training.

“Particularly in Alberta it is essential our young people and those who are looking to upgrade their skills get the necessary support so we can create jobs and grow our economy,” said MP Hawn.

Budget 2013 also announced measures to create more opportunities for apprentices. To further reduce barriers to accreditation in the skilled trades in Canada the Government will work with provinces to harmonize requirements for apprentices. Additionally the Government will examine the use of practical hands-on tests as a method of assessment in targeted skilled trades. This will ensure more apprentices complete their training and encourage mobility across the country to areas in high demand for skilled workers.

“I cannot stress enough the importance of connecting Albertans with available jobs. We need to ensure local businesses can find the right people and the talent they need to expand their businesses and create jobs,” said MP Hawn.

Budget 2013 offers a new Building Canada Plan, which provides long-term, predictable funding for infrastructure such as roads, bridges and public transit. Budget 2013 builds on our record investments and the new Building Canada Plan will be the largest investment in job-creating infrastructure in Canadian history.

The new Building Canada plan has three main components:

Community Improvement Fund – $32.2 billion consisting of an indexed Gas Tax Fund and the increased GST Rebate for Municipalities to build roads, public transit, recreational facilities and other community infrastructure across Canada.

New Building Canada Fund – $14 billion in support of major economic infrastructure projects that have a national and regional significance.

Renewed P3 Canada Fund – $1.25 billion to continue finding innovative ways to build infrastructure projects faster and provide better value for Canadian taxpayers through public-private partnerships.

In addition, over the next 10 years, our Government will invest $6 billion in existing infrastructure funding and $17 billion to build, operate and maintain federal public infrastructure. Overall, the new Building Canada plan includes $70 billion in federal infrastructure funding over 10 years, the largest federal investment in job-creating infrastructure in Canadian history.

“I am very proud of this budget as we are investing in skills training and new infrastructure but we are also on track to return to surplus by 2015.  It is important we continue to remain focused on creating jobs and implement the next phase of our Economic Action Plan,” concluded MP Hawn.

The post Budget 2013: Connecting Edmontonians with Jobs appeared first on Hon. Laurie Hawn.

Edmonton, AB – In Alberta, 350 Aboriginal people will be trained for high-demand jobs in the energy sector, thanks to investments from the Governments of Canada and Alberta, and other partners. The announcement was made today by the Honourable Laurie Hawn, Member of Parliament for Edmonton Centre, on behalf of the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, and the Honourable Robin Campbell, Alberta Minister of Aboriginal Relations.

Governments, industry, trade unions, training organizations and Aboriginal communities are investing close to $7 million in this training initiative that is designed to address Alberta’s critical skills shortages and build better futures for Aboriginal people.

“Our government’s top priorities are creating jobs, economic growth and long-term prosperity,” said Mr. Hawn. “It’s important that Canadians have the skills and training they need to succeed. That’s why, through the Skills and Partnership Fund, our government works with partners to ensure Aboriginal people can take full advantage of economic opportunities.”

Through the Skills and Partnership Fund, the Government of Canada is contributing over $1.9 million to the Trade Winds to Success Training Society to provide Aboriginal people with training and work experience in various energy-related occupations, in particular in Alberta’s oil and gas sector. These include jobs such as boilermakers, carpenters, electricians, welders and pipefitters.

The Government of Alberta will also invest $1.6 million in the project through the through the Ministries of Human Services and Aboriginal Relations.

“The Alberta Government is a proud partner of the Trade Winds to Success Training Society, which has helped more than 500 Aboriginal Albertans build brighter futures for themselves and their families since 2005,” said Minister Campbell. “We are committed to working with Aboriginal communities to ensure they can take advantage of the opportunities available in our province and reach their full potential.”

“The Board of Directors, Trade Winds to Success Training Society staff and, most importantly, the Aboriginal people we serve, would like to thank the federal and provincial governments for their financial support through the Skills and Partnership Fund,” said Deborah Munroe, Executive Director, Trade Winds to Success Training Society. “This funding will allow us to continue doing what we do best—putting Aboriginal people to work in the trades.”

There are 10 other partners, including the Oteenow Employment & Training Society,
Community Futures Treaty Seven, ConocoPhillips and the Alberta Carpenters Training Centre that are making significant investments in this initiative.

The Skills and Partnership Fund is part of the Government of Canada’s approach to help First Nations, Métis and Inuit get training and work experience to secure meaningful long-term employment.

The post Supporting Aboriginal Skills Development in Alberta appeared first on Hon. Laurie Hawn.

Edmonton, AB – The Governments of Canada and Alberta are providing support for youth in Alberta to help them gain the skills, experience and knowledge they need to enter and succeed in the job market. The announcement was made today by the Honourable Laurie Hawn, PC,CD, MP for Edmonton Centre, on behalf of the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, and the Honourable Robin Campbell, Alberta’s Minister of Aboriginal Relations.

The Alberta Chamber of Resources is receiving over $175,000 for a project to help Aboriginal youth overcome barriers to employment. The Government of Canada is contributing over $95,000 through the Skills Link program, part of the Youth Employment Strategy (YES). The Government of Alberta will also invest $80,000 in the project through the Ministries of Aboriginal Relations and Human Services.

“I am happy to be taking part in this important announcement, as it is ground level funding such as this that can help young people develop skills and gain great experience to prepare for the workforce of tomorrow,” said MP Hawn.

With an annual budget of more than $300 million, YES helps youth, particularly those facing barriers to employment, obtain career information, develop employment skills, find jobs and stay employed. YES includes the Skills Link and Career Focus programs and the Canada Summer Jobs initiative, which creates thousands of job opportunities for students every summer.

Economic Action Plan 2012 is providing an additional $50 million over two years to enhance YES through a new initiative that will connect young Canadians with jobs that are in high demand and help them develop tangible skills and gain work experience.

“Our Government’s main priority will remain the economy, and it is critical to our long term prosperity that we help our youth gain the experience and opportunities they need to succeed,” concluded MP Hawn.

Youth employment programs are part of the Government of Canada’s broader strategy to create an educated, skilled and flexible workforce. The Government underscored its commitment to this strategy in
Canada’s Economic Action Plan. A key component of the Plan is to create more and better opportunities for Canadian workers through skills development. To learn more about Canada’s Economic Action Plan, visit actionplan.gc.ca.

The Government of Canada is helping youth plan their careers, learn new skills and find jobs through enhanced online services available at youth.gc.ca.

The post Governments of Canada and Alberta invest to help Aboriginal youth get jobs appeared first on Hon. Laurie Hawn.

Edmonton, AB – Statistics Canada announced today that 59,300 net new jobs were created in November with the unemployment rate falling to a post-recession low of 7.2%. Of the tens of thousands of new jobs created last month over 90% were full-time positions.

“These are encouraging figures for Edmontonians and all Canadians. Though we aren’t done weathering the storm of the global economic crisis, this is great news for Canadians,” said MP Hawn.

Including November’s strong job growth, over 880,000 net new jobs have been now created since July 2009. Of those jobs, 90% are full-time positions. This a positive sign that despite the challenges of the economic recession the government’s approach to economic growth and regulation is producing concrete results for Canadian families.

“This is a positive sign but we cannot be content to sit on our laurels. Canadians support Economic Action Plan 2012 and trust us to work together to keep our economy strong,” said MP Hawn.

While Canadian unemployment figures are looking better than they have since before the recession, the on-going financial turbulence the United States and Europe continue to pose a significant risk to the Canadian economy.

MP Hawn added, “Edmonton, one of the mostinnovative cities in the country, is a model of the kind of growth that creates jobs. Edmontonians see the big picture, they know that keeping taxes low and returning to balanced budgets is the right strategy.”

Our government’s approach will help to us to attract investment and make sure that we are keeping an eye on long-term financial stability. I am squarely focused on what matters to Edmontonians – helping create jobs, promoting economic growth, and securing our long-term prosperity. With the passing of Budget 2012 we can now continue to implement our long term measures for continued economic growth.

The post Lowest Unemployment Rate Since the Recession appeared first on Hon. Laurie Hawn.