Speaking Notes for

Andrew Scheer, Member of Parliament for Regina Qu’Appelle

On behalf of

The Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Social Development

Grand Opening for Highland Manor

2221 5th Avenue North
Regina, Saskatchewan
December 8, 2006
Time: 2:00 pm

Check against delivery

Good afternoon. Bonjour.

I am pleased to be here today, on behalf of my colleague, the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Social Development — and the Minister responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. Today, we are here to celebrate the grand opening of Highland Manor.

Here in Regina, and right across the country, Canada’s New Government is getting things done for Canadians. Just two weeks ago, Minister Flaherty announced Advantage Canada which is a new and long overdue economic plan for Canada.  We are setting out to pay down the national debt by 2021, and the interest saved will go towards reducing taxes for all Canadians. Earlier this year, we announced a budget plan to lower taxes and help with choice in child care by giving parents $100 a month for each child under six. We’ve also introduced important new changes to Compassionate Care leave, brought in incentives to help young people get into the trades through apprenticeship grants, provided $1 billion for post-secondary education, and made an additional $1.4 billion commitment to affordable housing in our last budget.

Canada’s New Government also recently proposed a Tax Fairness Plan that proposes to increase the Age Credit Amount and permit income splitting for pensioners to deliver over a billion dollars of new tax relief annually for Canadian seniors and pensioners.

Our ongoing commitment to affordable housing is helping to provide support for projects like this one. Highland Manor’s 50 units of housing for low-income seniors will allow residents to live as independently as possible in their community — while providing them with the option of assisted living services.

Canada’s New Government is very proud to be working in close cooperation with the Province of Saskatchewan to fund this project, through federal funding of over $1 million under the Canada – Saskatchewan Affordable Housing Agreement.

Through CMHC, our national housing agency for more than 60 years, the federal government provides approximately $2 billion a year in housing assistance across the country. This primarily supports some 633,000 lower-income households. For the people of Saskatchewan, this represents a total of about $152 million annually — in support of about 35,000 lower-income households.

Today's event marks an important step forward for the people of Regina and demonstrates what we can achieve when we work together. When it comes to building communities, it takes the efforts of many to achieve success. It takes partnerships at all levels of government. And it also takes creative and innovative people with a vision.

Thank you to all those involved in this project, especially the Highland Park Housing Corporation. I would also like to note the support that Highland Manor has received over the years from Regina’s Affordable Seniors Housing Committee. Your combined efforts have successfully brought this project to fruition. Thank you for all you are doing.

Thank you for joining us today. Merci.