Report from Parliament's Hill December 15th

By Prince George - Peace River M.P. Jay Hill

     
Rural, northern Canada has unique needs and priorities.  That is one of the core messages that I have consistently carried to Ottawa throughout my 13 years as the Member of Parliament for Prince George-Peace River.

Given that 80% of Canadians live in urban areas, the vast majority of elected representatives are primarily focused on urban priorities.  It takes a great deal of perseverance to ensure that our rural voice is heard in Ottawa.

However, since our new Conservative Government first took office 10 months ago it feels as though my voice, and our concerns, have been magnified one hundred fold.  This week alone, there were three new examples that our Government is listening to rural Canada.

First came the announcement on Tuesday by Agriculture Minister Chuck Strahl that drought-stricken livestock producers in northern British Columbia will receive a tax reprieve from the federal government.

Ranchers who were forced sell all or part of their herd this year due to the drought conditions will be eligible for a one-year federal tax deferral on 2006 income from these sales. 

The tax deferral will apply to owners of breeding livestock in the Regional Districts of Bulkley-Nechako, Fraser-Fort George, Kitimat-Stikine and Peace River in British Columbia. 

Throughout my many discussions on the drought this fall, I know that Minister Strahl has been actively exploring financial relief measures for area farmers and he continues to do so.  The tax deferral offers producers who choose to sell their cattle important tax savings which they can use when restocking their herds in the spring.

The very next day, the federal minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, Lawrence Cannon, announced he had issued two important directives to Canada Post.  The first directive requires Canada Post to work to restore and maintain mail delivery to rural and suburban roadside mailboxes while taking into consideration the health and safety of its employees.

The second directs Canada Post to continue funding the Publications Assistance Program (PAP) for up to two more years.  PAP is a joint Canadian Heritage-Canada Post program and helps offset the mailing costs of Canadian magazines and non-daily newspapers delivered within Canada.

Within our constituency of Prince George-Peace River there are an impressive number of weekly community newspapers and publications, including the one in which you are likely reading this column now!  In a large, rural, northern riding like ours, our local weekly newspapers are an essential part of community life.

PAP also offsets subscription costs for magazines so all Canadians have equal access to news and ideas despite geographic distance or remote location.  Additionally, the program negotiates a reduced postal rate for inter-library loans, making library books more accessible to residents throughout municipalities in Prince George-Peace River.

These three announcements, for the most part, have very little impact upon residents of Vancouver, Toronto or Montreal.  Our Government has undertaken countless more initiatives to address the needs and priorities of rural Canadians … the very ones that constituents, local business people, mayors and councils have brought to my attention.

It was a good week.

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