Dear Friends,

The October 5th Speech from the Throne set out an ambitious and activist agenda to improve the standard and quality of life for all Canadians.

During the first week of the 38th Parliament, 11 bills were introduced, the largest number of bills tabled in a first week of any session in more than two decades. At least another 29 will come forward before the House rises in December. All of them will engage Parliament - and Canadians everywhere - in discussions covering a wide range of issues.

Just few of the bills tabled thus far include:

Legislation for the Protection of Children and other Vulnerable Persons - creating stiffer penalties for the crime of child pornography;

An Education Savings Act to create the Canada Learning Bond and implement enhancements to the Canada Education Savings Grant, so lower-income families can save more money for their childrens' education;

'Whistleblower' legislation protecting public servants who disclose wrongdoing in the workplace;
A bill to establish the department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness; and

New quarantine legislation to protect Canadians from the spread of serious health threats, such as SARS;

In Standing Committees, and in the House of Commons, we are striving to make this parliament work for the benefit of all Canadians.

Members of Parliament of all political stripes have important roles to play - as members of standing committees, or in the development of policies. Their input is necessary on issues before legislation is developed and in reviewing existing legislation after it's implemented, including a review of the Anti-Terrorism Act and the election financing legislation.

I was recently selected to serve on the Justice, Human Rights, Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Committee. This ties in well with my new responsibilities as Parliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness. I am very eager to take part in this new and exciting committee and I look forward to bringing my skills and experience to the table.

This Government is serious about engaging Parliamentarians on important issues in meaningful ways. The people of this riding, and all Canadians, demand that partisanship be put aside in the interests of the country and its citizens. This is never more important than in a minority Government situation. I remain committed to these principles, and I will do my best to keep the rest of Parliament accountable to these principles as well!

Yours sincerely,

Hon. Roy Cullen, P.C., M.P.

People in Ontario deserve a strong, safe, healthy and growing province in which to live, work and raise their families. The federal government's Speech from the Throne that opened the 38th session of Parliament on October 5, 2004, promises policies and programs that help make this possible.

Delivering on these promises begins with a fiscally prudent federal government that balances its books, pays down debt and has a plan to build an even stronger, globally competitive and sustainable economy. That's what the Speech from the Throne delivers.

The Speech also commits this Government's support to the economic sectors that are crucial to the Ontario economy, specifically the automotive sector, as well as manufacturing and aerospace.

The Government will invest in workplace skills and improve recognition of foreign credentials, which will help many of Ontario's qualified immigrants find work in their chosen professions more quickly.

Under the 2004, 10-Year Health Accord reached with the provinces and territories in September, Ontario will receive some $14 billion in additional healthcare funding over the next 10 years, plus its share of the $5.5-billion Wait Times Reduction Fund. This builds on previous commitments to Ontario, including $778 million in new health funding, the development of a health emergency response team, and $156 million for an immunization strategy to help relieve the stress on the Ontario public health system identified during the SARS outbreak.

For Ontario cities and communities, the transfer of a portion of the gas tax to municipalities means better roads, improved transit systems and more sustainable infrastructures. This will build on the hundreds of millions of dollars already committed to Ontario municipalities, including $243 million in GST relief for this year alone; $435 million for the expansion of GO Transit and York Region transit services; $30 million for the expansion of the Ottawa Congress Centre; $25 million for water & sewage treatment improvements in Thunder Bay; and $298 million for Ontario municipalities under the Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund.

The Throne Speech commitment to affordable housing and the homeless means a better quality of life for people living in our cities. To this end, the Government will build on the $245 million it has committed for affordable housing in Ontario.

Our commitment to clean air and water for Ontario is reflected in plans to advance the next generation of its Great Lakes and St. Lawrence programs. Earlier this year, we gave $1.5 million to support 47 restoration projects in the Great Lakes Basin. We also committed $3.5 billion over 10 years for the clean-up of contaminated federal lands, including 661 sites in Ontario.
This province also stands to benefit from the $1 billion - from a portion of the $2.6 billion we made on the sale of our Petro-Canada shares - supporting new environmental technologies, such as wind energy.

Issues such as BSE underline the importance of trade issues to Ontario. This Government is committed to obtaining more reliable access to U.S. markets by building on our Smart Borders initiative and developing a more sophisticated and informed relationship with our neighbour to the south for the benefit of all Ontario farmers.

The Government's enthusiasm for continued research and development will expand on recent successes that Ontario has enjoyed as an important centre for basic and commercial research, including more than $480 million in new funding from federal granting councils.

The Speech also builds on other previously announced commitments by our Government, including $58 million to speed up the Multilateral Framework on Early Learning and Child Care; $6.4 million for 137 community-based crime prevention initiatives in Ontario; and millions more of available venture capital for innovative Ontario companies.

The Speech from the Throne is a blueprint for a prosperous and sustainable 21st-century economy, strengthened social foundations, and making Canada a nation of pride and influence in the world. Ontario is a key part of that plan.