Policy
Conservative Platform 2011 (.pdf)
EXPLOITS VALLEY HIGH ADDRESS
Good morning. My name is Aaron Hynes, and I'm the Conservative Candidate for the riding of Bonavista-Gander-Grand Falls-Windsor in the federal election that will be held on May 2nd.
I was invited to address the students of Exploits Valley High this Wednesday during your mock federal election. Unfortunately, I'll be at the far end of our huge riding on Wednesday. As you may know, the riding of Bonavista-Gander-Grand Falls-Windsor extends from Buchans to Bonavista, so there is a lot of ground for candidates to cover during an election campaign, and there is an equally large range of issues to address.
Many of you will soon be graduating from High School and moving on to university or college, so I expect you are interested in the federal government's role in post-secondary education. Although education is primarily a responsibility of the provincial governments, much of the funding for education comes from the federal government. The current federal government invests more than $10 billion a year in students and education. This includes $2.2 billion a year in grants, scholarships and student loans directly to students.
The current Conservative government also created the Canada Student Grant Program, to provide up to $250 per month to low-income students and $100 a month to middle-income students. I encourage you to look into the help that is available to you from the federal government if you're going on to university.
I'd also like to make you aware of a program called the Forum For Young Canadians, which educates high school students about politics and government through a series of seminars, field trips and simulations held in Ottawa over a one-week period. The federal government pays the cost of air travel for participants from all parts of Canada to Ottawa. There is also a fairly large fee – it's almost $900, but you can raise this money from sponsors or through fundraising initiatives of your own. I encourage you to look it up online. Again, it's called the Forum for Young Canadians. I think it's a great program for any student who is interested in how government works.
I know students are interested in far more than just education issues. You are all future taxpayers. You will all need health care throughout your lives. You may be concerned about finding work close to home – this has been a problem for young people from central Newfoundland for many years. I myself have lived and worked in five different provinces, but my heart has always been here in central Newfoundland. It won't be long before many of you are married and trying to make ends meet while raising a family. That is the stage of life I'm in right now, so I appreciate the challenges it involves.
Obviously I can't talk about every single policy issue in the short time available to me this morning. So I'll just leave you with this message: The decisions made by the politicians who are elected to parliament in less than two weeks will have ripple effects for all of you throughout your lives. I cannot emphasize enough how important it is for you to educate yourselves about the policies of each party, ask questions directly to your candidates, reach your own conclusions, make your views known, and – if you are old enough – cast a vote on May 2nd.
Again, my name is Aaron Hynes. You can find out more about me and view the Conservative Party's policy platform by visiting www.aaronhynes.ca. That's a-a-r-o-n-h-y-n-e-s dot c-a.
Thank you for your time this morning, and for your interest in the democratic process.
GANDER DEBATE - OPENING COMMENTS
Ladies and gentlemen, I'm here because I believe you deserve effective representation in parliament.
I've worked in parliament for twelve years, as a legislative assistant, policy advisor, and special assistant to a minister. I know how parliament works – and how it sometimes fails to work.
I've always advocated the interests of central Newfoundland within the Conservative party and within government. And I've achieved results.
I helped bring the Newfoundland and Labrador weather centre back to Gander – something Mr. Simms couldn't persuade his own party to do when they were in government.
I helped resolve an employment insurance issue for a group of laid-off workers in Lewisporte. They said they came to me because they didn't get results from their Member of Parliament.
I pushed for an extension of the port divestiture program, to give communities like Botwood and others in this riding more time to overcome administrative hurdles.
I fought for financial assistance for Gander International Airport, and that assistance was delivered.
On each these issues, I've made a positive difference – and I could do much more as your Member of Parliament.
I want to help deliver a tax credit for volunteer fire fighters, and financial incentives to bring more doctors and nurses to rural Newfoundland. The recent Conservative budget included those measures, but the Liberals and their allies rejected that budget.
I also want to help get rid of the useless long gun registry. Mr. Simms promised to help abolish the long gun registry, but his leader Mr. Ignatieff ordered the entire Liberal caucus to support the registry, and Mr. Simms complied.
I also want to represent you within a government that understands the importance of the seal hunt to the economy and culture of rural Newfoundland. While the Conservative government has opened new markets for seal products, Liberal MPs from this province have failed to convince even their own caucus to support the sealing industry.
You need and deserve to have someone representing your values and interests in Ottawa, and I want to give you that representation.
Thank you.
GANDER DEBATE - CLOSING COMMENTS
I'd like to thank the Gander Chamber of Commerce for holding this event and helping the people of this riding to make an informed decision on May 2nd.
I've served Canada all my life. I served as an officer in the Navy for a decade, and I've served on parliament hill for the past twelve years. I come by my passion for service honestly.
My father served in the army for 37 years, and in retirement he's become a Newfoundland historian and author, and a very active and versatile volunteer. His father before him was a blacksmith and woodsman in Norris arm, and is remembered as a pillar of his community. My family has fought and bled for Newfoundland and for Canada, in Beaumont-Hamel, in the Battle of the Atlantic, and in Afghanistan.
I'm very proud of the values I've inherited from my forefathers – work hard; do what's right instead of what's easy; put family first; serve your country and your community; thank God for your blessings; and try leave the world a better place than you found it.
Those are the values of rural Newfoundland. Those are the values I want to bring to parliament on your behalf.
I have tremendous faith in the potential of central Newfoundland. It is the most beautiful region of the most beautiful province of the most beautiful country in the world. I have confidence in the resolve, ingenuity and goodness of the people of this riding.
But I also believe that our enormous potential has for too long been frustrated by weak, self-interested politicians who have failed to advance the interests of rural Newfoundland.
If you want more results and less spin from your politicians, you have the right, and the power, and the responsibility to demand better.
If you want a more influential and effective voice in parliament and in government, I ask you to consider me for that job on May 2nd. It would be my honour to serve you.
Thank you and God guard thee.