Member of Parliament Randy Kamp met on Friday with small business owners and community leaders in Maple Ridge, BC to discuss ways to create jobs and economic growth as Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s Conservative Government plans for the next phase of Canada’s Economic Action Plan.

“The economy remains the number one priority of the Prime Minister and our Conservative Government,” said Kamp.  “Our Government will continue to focus on creating jobs for workers, retirement savings for seniors, and the financial security of all Canadian families.”

Launched in 2009, the Economic Action Plan has so far contributed to the creation of more than 440,000 new jobs since July 2009 and helped the country emerge from the global economic crisis faster and stronger than most other developed countries around the world. 

“It is clear that the Economic Action Plan is working,” continued Kamp.  “It has created jobs and provided financial security to Canadian families through the worst global recession since the Second World War.”

“The comments I heard from small business owners and hard working people in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows clearly indicated that the stimulus our government provided has had positive effects right here at home,” said Kamp. “They also advised that getting our federal budget back to balance is a priority.”

“Participants let me know that initiatives such as the Tax Free Savings Account (TFSA), the recent changes in mortgage rules and the government’s decision to keep interest rates low are all having positive effects right here at home. The task now is to make sure that our government achieves a balanced budget in a way that does not jeopardize these positive results.”

As the next phase of the Economic Action Plan is developed, the Prime Minister and his Conservative MPs are holding meetings across the country to seek the views of Canadians on the next phase of Canada’s Economic Action Plan. Individuals wishing to participate in the pre-budget consultations can do so by visiting www.randykamp.com and clicking on the budget consultations link.