Speaking notes for

The Honourable Rona Ambrose,
President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada,
Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and
Minister of Western Economic Diversification

Corresponding Document: News release (2007-11-29)

Check Against Delivery

Thank you Dr. Sam Shaw.

Good afternoon everyone.

It’s an honour to be here today on behalf of the Government of Canada.

To begin, I would like to acknowledge my distinguished platform guests: Brian Straub, Executive Vice-President of Oil Sands for Shell Canada; and Sid Fontoura, Product Manager at L-3 SPAR Aerospace Limited.

Today’s grand opening of the NAIT Shell Manufacturing Centre is a great example of what can be accomplished when industry, post-secondary institutions and different orders of government work together to improve our economic competitiveness and the technology skills of our workforce.

The Government of Canada, through Western Economic Diversification Canada, is proud to be a part of this tremendous partnership effort with an investment of more than $3.1 million towards the NAIT Shell Manufacturing Centre.

We recognize that Western Canada’s manufacturing sector is vital to our economic foundation—providing employment for thousands of people, allowing businesses to make their products and exports more marketable.

All these benefits result in bringing prosperity and growth to our vibrant communities.

This new Centre will help increase the competitiveness of our manufacturing sector by providing companies with the resources they need to improve productivity and performance.

For western Canadians whose livelihood depends on the strength of this important sector, today’s milestone points towards a more secure and prosperous future for themselves and their families.

Students who are trained at this facility will also have the opportunity to incorporate state-of-the-art technologies into their learning experience.

This one-of-a-kind training will help develop a new generation of skilled workers to drive western Canada’s growing knowledge-based economy.

Alberta’s unprecedented economic growth has resulted in an overwhelming demand for skilled workers…

…And the NAIT Shell Manufacturing Centre will help address that demand by fostering an environment in which students can grow and prepare for fulfilling, rewarding careers.

With each new graduating student, the future of Canada’s manufacturing outlook is being built and positioned for success in the global market.

That is why I am also proud to announce today that the Government of Canada, through Western Economic Diversification Canada, is investing an additional $1.1 million towards the expansion of NAIT’s apprenticeship training capacity.

This new investment will help support NAIT to continue to play a central role in training highly skilled and capable workers, as well as meet the increasing demands of industry.

As the federal department responsible for economic diversification in the West, WD is also working to ensure a prosperous future for western Canadians by increasing value-added production in resource and manufacturing sectors of the economy.

This is achieved by supporting industry-wide initiatives in priority sectors – such as manufacturing  – that introduce new products, technologies, and innovations to existing production and processes.

These initiatives help the manufacturing sector meet the challenges of a skilled workers shortage, and the fluctuations in the value of the Canadian dollar.

In the recent Speech from the Throne, we emphasized the importance of supporting Canada’s traditional industries by providing a tax advantage.

Our Government has allowed manufacturing and processing businesses to write off their capital investments in machinery and equipment over a two-year period.

This incentive will help Canadian businesses invest in new technology that will make them more productive, enabling them to grow and better compete on the world stage.

More recently, our Government released its fall Economic and Fiscal Update.
This Fiscal Update proposes a bold, new tax reduction initiative that will lower the general corporate income tax rate to 15 per cent by 2012, from the current rate of 22.1 per cent.

Broad-based tax reductions support investment and growth in all sectors of the economy, including not only sectors with strong growth but also those facing greater challenges. Such tax reductions provide incentives for all businesses to succeed.

It is estimated that the reduction in corporate tax rates announced in this Fiscal Update alone will provide $2.6 billion in tax relief to the manufacturing and processing sector over this and the next five years.

Canada’s future depends on a strong economy and our Government is ensuring that Canadians have the advantages they need to build a skilled workforce that meet the demands of employers.

The Government of Canada also recognizes the importance of increasing our economic competitiveness by ensuring that our colleges and polytechnics are able to meet the demands of the new global economy.

Budget 2007 included an $800 million increase in annual support for post-secondary education, with federal support increasing by 3 per cent every year thereafter.

We will continue to build a more competitive and productive economy, and our investment of more than $3.1 million in the NAIT Shell Manufacturing Centre is a step in that direction. 

On behalf of the Government of Canada and Western Economic Diversification Canada, would like to congratulate everyone who has been involved with making this new facility a reality.

I am proud to be a part of the grand opening of the NAIT Shell Manufacturing Centre, and wish you every success as you move forward.

Thank you.