LIBERALS PLEDGE SUPPORT FOR VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS

LABRADOR, May 3, 2010 – A Liberal government would introduce a $3,000 refundable tax credit in recognition of the costs Canada’s volunteer firefighters incur for their emergency public service, Todd Russell, Liberal Member of Parliament for Labrador has announced.

“Thousands of Canadians put their lives at risk to keep us safe when they don the volunteer firefighter’s uniform,” said Todd Russell. “Without the emergency public service provided by volunteer firefighters, residents of many Labrador communities would be without protection – which is why we need to support their efforts.”

Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff on Monday pledged to provide a $3,000 refundable tax credit to all volunteer firefighters with a minimum of 200 hours of volunteer service during the tax year.  This annual volunteer service would include time devoted to achieving and maintaining firefighter training in accordance with recognized standards. The tax credit would be made available to everyone who qualifies, regardless of income.

“The residents of many smaller communities don’t have access to the full-time fire protective services – which is why many brave men and women of serve their community by volunteering their time,” Russell said.  “We need to recognize the, risk and sacrifice made by volunteer firefighters, who are ready to answer the call at all hours to help their neighbours in need.”

Over 90 percent of Canada’s 3,492 fire departments are volunteer fire departments.  There are approximately 84,000 volunteer firefighters in Canada.

In Labrador, there are twenty communities with volunteer fire departments.

Support for volunteer firefighters is the third part of the Liberal Party’s “Rural Canada Matters” initiative. Mr. Ignatieff recently announced the Liberal plan for Canada’s first National Food Policy and measures to help attract doctors and nurses to underserved rural communities.

“Michael Ignatieff is presenting Canadians with a clear choice,” Russell said.  “The Liberal choice is to pay down the deficit and invest in priorities like rural emergency services, while Stephen Harper has chosen more tax cuts for corporations that our country and our families can’t afford.”

At the recent Canada at 150 conference, Mr. Ignatieff announced that a Liberal government will freeze corporate income tax rates in Canada.  The Harper Conservative government’s priority is to continue cutting Canada’s corporate income tax rates – already among the lowest in the G7 – from 18% to 15% when our country can’t afford to.  A Liberal government would use the savings from a corporate income tax freeze – between $5 billion and $6 billion a year – to invest in deficit reduction and initiatives such as supporting rural emergency services.

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Todd Russell, MP

(613) 996-4630