Rural Canada Matters

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Rural Can Canada ada Matters

 

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Rural Canada Matters

Rural Canada Matters Canada’s rural communi Canada’s communities ties matter to the health and prosperity of Canada. But rural Canadianss face numerous challenges: Canadian challenges: high levels of unemployment, doctor and nursing shortages, a lack of reliable internet internet and cell phone service ser vice and in some areas no basic mail service.  The Liberal Party of Canada is addressing addressing these issues issues as part of our ‘Rural Canada Canada Matters’ initiative, initiativ e, by putting forth commitments to help ease the burden on rural Canadians and bridging the gap between urban and rural Canada.

Invest in the rural economy  To support economic development  To development and the creation of high-quality jobs in rural communities, a Liberal government will invest to strengthen Canada’s economy with a focus on building Canada as a world leader in clean energy and resources. Specifically, a Liberal government will:   Quadruple renewable energy production in Canada, including wind, solar and biomass energy produced largely from rural Canada;   Introduce better access to credit to help Canada’s forestry sector invest in new equipment and create jobs; and Introduce Canada’s First National Food Policy and support better incomes for Canadian farmers.

More doctors and nurses in rural communities 20% of Canadians live in rural areas, while only 10% of doctors practice in rural communities.   communities. A Liberal government will work with the provinces and territories to attract up to 1,500 more doctors and nurses a year to underserved rural communities communities by forgiving the federal portion

www.liberal.ca/issues/rural-canada

 

Rural Canada Matters

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$20,000 over four of any student loans incurred loans incurred up to $5,000 per year, year, for a maximum of $20,000 years, for doctors, nurses and nurse practitioners choosing practitioners  choosing to practice in a designated underserved rural communi community. ty. As Quebec does not participate in the Canada Student Loans program, Quebec would be allocated its equitable share of the $30 million Liberal rural healthcare initiative – $7.2 million per year – based on Quebec’s share of Canada’s population. In partnership with the province of Quebec, funding would flow through Canada through Canada Economic Development for the Quebec Regions (DEC), (DEC), who would work hand-in-hand with regional agencies, municipalities and social and business groups to direct the incentive to attract family doctors to their region. Together with the province and local leaders, the incentive will support Quebec’s goal of making its Plans régionaux d’effectifs médicaux (PREM) a reality. A Liberal government would also work in partnership with provinces and territories to explore other ways to strengthen rural health services, services, including:   Support for rural-focused medical and nursing education; Encouraging young Canadians in rural communities to go to medical school or study nursing;   Introducing programs to find employment for the spouses of new doctors and nurses;   Boosting rural medicine extension programs; and   Improving internet access for rural health practitioners.

100% high-speed internet connectivity and increased mobile phone coverage Canada’s economy is increasingly linked through the internet. As jobs, education, and communication become more dependent on the internet, Canadians without internet access or internet skills will be left behind.  behind.   In 2006, Canada’s  Telecom  T elecommunica munications tions Review Review Panel recommended the federal government achieve 100% highspeed internet connectivity by 2010. This goal was not achieved under the Conservative government.

www.liberal.ca/issues/rural-canada

 

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Rural Canada Matters

According to the CRTC, in 2010 close to 700,000 Canadian households – households – or 16% of all rural Canadians – could not access high-speed internet. The Conservative government has not  provided  provided the leadership or leadership or resources necessary to achieve this objective, which is crucial for the sustained economic development of Canada’s rural regions. A future Liberal government will commit to achieving the goal of 100% high-speed internet  within three years of connectivity within connectivity years of being elected, and expand mobile phone coverage for rural and remote Canada. Using proceeds from the upcoming spectrum auction slated for 2011, a Liberal government will invest $500 million in achieving connectivity of at least 1.5 MB/sec for all Canadian communities within three years of being elected. With an interim target of 1.5 MB/sec, we would establish a universal availability target comparable with other industrialized nations. A Liberal government would also seek to set a more ambitious goal for 2017, Canada’s 150th anniversary.

Rural Canadian Postal Service Charter Rural post offices are hubs of activity for rural residents, but since 2006, the Conservative government has presided over the closure of 42 rural post offices, offices , and the cancellation of 55,000 rural roadside mailboxes from service. Some rural residents now must travel several kilometres to get their mail – something that is difficult for seniors and those with disabilities. A Liberal government would end the five years of neglecting the needs rural communities and introduce into legislation a Rural Canadian Postal Service Charter that will restore rural mail service and service and prevent any further deterioration of rural mail service. The Charter would have three objectives:   Protect universal service – service – Canada Post will maintain postal service everywhere in Canada;   Restore and maintain rural mail service – By placing a moratorium on the closure of rural post offices and restoring box-to-box, rural and roadside mail service; and   Improve community consultation – consultation – Canada Post must communicate with all affected customer/communities six months before any change in service.

www.liberal.ca/issues/rural-canada

 

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 Tax  T ax credit credit for volun volunteer teer firefigh firefighters ters   Volunteer firefighters provide an emergency public service in rural communities that is a fulltime, paid job in urban settings.   Over 90% of Canada’s 90% of 3,492 fire departments volunteer fire departments.  departments.  There are approximately 84,000 volunteer firefightersare in Canada.   A Liberal government would introduce a new refundable $3,000 tax credit for credit for Canada’s volunteer fire fighters for fighters for the emergency public service they provide to their communities.   Volunteer firefighters incur travel and other training costs in costs  in performing their service.  This credit credit would would go to defraying some of these costs.

First National Food Policy A Liberal government will put in place Canada’s first ever National Food Policy. Policy. Developed in food producers, this policy will help Canadian farmers get more of conjunction their productwith ontoCanadian the tables of Canadian families. A future Liberal government will implement a National Food Policy beginning with five core areas for action: action:   Sustainable farm incomes, incomes, with a Clean Slate Commitment to build practical, bankable farm programs in partnership with farmers and restore AgriFlex to offer regionally flexible programs that help meet the costs of production; Safe Food, Food, by implementing all of the Weatherill report recommendations and investing $50 million in improving food inspections and ensuring imported foods meet our tough domestic standards; Healthy living, living, including an $80-million Buy Local Fund to promote farmers markets and home-grown foods, a $40-million Healthy Start program to help 250,000 lowincome children access healthy foods, introducing progressive health labeling and tough standards on trans fats, and launching a Healthy Choices program to help Canadians make informed eating decisions;   Environmental farmland stewardship, stewardship, by strengthening Environmental Farm Plans, improving fertilizer and pesticide management, and rewarding farmers for their role in clean energy production and protecting wildlife habitat; and International leadership, leadership, to promote Canadian food internationally and expand Canada’s share of high-value export markets while also fostering food security in Africa and the world’s poorest nations.

www.liberal.ca/issues/rural-canada

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