If there is one thing I have learned in public office, both during my time at city hall and now as a member of Parliament, it’s that you will hear from critics and those who disagree with government policies and direction far more frequently than from those who are supportive. However, when reading the comments and reactions to our Government’s Economic Action Plan for 2013 announced last week, I was pleasantly surprised to hear from well over 30 different national organizations all expressing support for some of it’s measures. Critics have, in the past, suggested that our Economic Action Plan budgets are too comprehensive, and should be simplified. That is not to suggest there is no opposition, as healthy democratic societies will always have disagreement in debate and it’s important to hear from all sides.

It was pointed out last year that funeral and burial benefits for Canadian veterans needed updating and improvement. In response to these concerns, In the Economic Action Plan for 2013 has been simplified and the funeral service reimbursement rate has been doubled up to $7,376. This, in turn, prompted the Royal Canadian Legion to issue this statement: “The Legion’s national letter writing campaign is clearly working as we now have an increase in the funding for funeral costs and removal of restrictions around their use.” This is one of the 34 comments I read recently in response to the budget that demonstrates the importance of government listening to the concerns of citizens and taking action. I have also read positive comments from the Association of Canadian Community Colleges, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, The Federation of Canadian Municipalities, Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canadian Restaurant and Food-services Association, Canadian Home Builders Association, Funeral Service Association of Canada, Canadian Paralympics Committee, Habitat for Humanity and even popular TV home renovations host Mike Holmes. These are just a random sampling of the number of diverse organizations that have identified measures in the 2013 Economic Action Plan that will be helpful to Canadians.

By the numbers, Canada remains in a position to balance the budget by 2015-16 – thanks in large part to lower government operational spending, reduced by a further $2 billion over the next two years, and a strong national economy with a diversified, comprehensive and strategic approach to job creation. Today, there are 950,000 more jobs than in July of 2009. Ninety per cent of these are full time and 80 per cent are in the wealth generating private sector. Canada’s debt to GDP ratio is 35.8 per cent; this is the lowest in the G-7 where the average is over 80 per cent. When you consider that Canada is currently paying $31 billion annually to service existing debt it is easy to appreciate why many countries with much higher debt levels continue to face very serious fiscal struggles. Also, Canada has continued to maintain an AAA credit rating which helps to ensure fiscal and investment stability. That, in turn, helps to increase employment and reduce borrowing charges. Although this is only a brief overview of the Economic Action Plan budget for 2013, I believe it is the right budget at the right time to keep Canada strong by following the same proven principles that have ensured our nation’s leading position within the G-7.

Dan Albas is the member of Parliament for Okanagan-Coquihalla. His blog is DaninOttawa.com and previous MP reports are on line at www.danalbas.com/