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Weekly Commentary  

Run out of it in 2010?

Question: What is the one resource which we never have enough of even though it will last forever?

If you guessed 'Time', then of course you are right.

One way to compensate for the sense that we 'ran out of time' or just 'didn't have enough time' is to look back (without dwelling there too long) at what got done over the last year.

Reporting to you, my constituents, some key items accomplished at the federal level, is one way of being accountable for the time you allowed me in 2010 to represent you.

Of course no reflection on the past year should start without recalling the amazing job Canada did hosting the Winter Olympics. You need to take credit for the fact that tax dollars, from you and from Canadian businesses large and small, made it all happen.

The stellar and stunning performance of organizers, participants, volunteers and of course our athletes, took the Winter Olympics to a whole new level on the world scene.

As a bonus, the recent auditor's report shows the books were balanced and the Games finished without a deficit.

Result: Time (and money) well spent.

There were other international achievements in 2010.

Prime Minister Harper has been asked by the United Nations World Health Organization to co-chair the UN Commission on Accountability for Women and Children's Health. This Commission will have oversight of the billions of dollars donated by nations to that cause in poor countries.

This will be time well spent.

Time in Afghanistan in 2010, though always difficult, has brought results. Schools and health clinics built. Millions of children vaccinated for polio. Literacy programs in place. Thousands of Afghan military and police now trained. Hundreds of small enterprises now being run by Afghan men and women.
 All of this achieved due to the brave protective and anti-insurgent work performed by our military.

Time well spent, with results that will last for years.

Chairing the 2010 G20 meetings Prime Minister Harper presided over an historic agreement of world leaders to commit to cutting their national deficits in half by 2013.

On the all important home front we spent most of our time on issues related to jobs and the economy. 2010 results? Canada's economy has been rated as the best in the industrialised world.

This year there has been a record increase of 440,000 new jobs, despite a fragile global recovery.

We have followed your advice to restrain federal government spending, keep taxes down and to stay on track with deficit elimination.

We will continue to spend our time on those issues in 2011.

On other domestic issues, we increased the Health Transfer Grant to provinces. We have brought forward legislation to protect children against predators and crack down on child porn. We have brought in laws to get tough on serious and repeat violent crime, serious drug dealing and gang activity.

We have introduced legislation to deal with human smuggling and abuse of our generous immigration system. For consumer safety we have improved regulations related to the environment, food products and child clothing and toys.

I could go on at length but guess what I'm running out of? Time!

I will commit to using my time in 2011 to continue to listen and to speak up and work for the things that matter most for you.

Here's some advice somebody gave me. For the year ahead, to avoid loss of time, make time (meaning write into your calendar every week) for the things most important to you and your family, and then do them.

May 2011 be blessed and prosperous for you.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.



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