In today’s economy, no technology does more to encourage job creation, entrepreneurship and opportunity than broadband internet. A minimum level of high-speed connectivity is also necessary to ensure access to basic online services. But for rural Canada, broadband internet is more than just the lifeblood of economic possibility. It’s the key to convincing young people to build their lives and careers in the communities they grew up in. It’s the key to giving many rural communities a chance to grow again.
Earlier today in Thunder Bay, via videoconference from the offices of Contact North, a distance learning organization, I committed a future Liberal
government to the ensuring 100% high-speed internet connectivity, as well as expanded cell phone coverage, for rural and remote Canadian communities within 3 years. We’re setting a goal of 1.5 Mbps for
all Canadian communities by 2013, with a more ambitious goal to follow for 2017, Canada’s 150th birthday. It’s a policy we would fund using proceeds from the upcoming 2011 spectrum auction.
In 2009, over 800,000 Canadian households still did not have access to high-speed internet. And since announcing their $225 million rural internet fund in February 2009, some 15 months later the Conservative government has not signed one agreement to improve rural internet connectivity. At the turn of the century Canada ranked 2nd in the world in internet connectivity, but has now fallen to 10th. This is unacceptable.
Ensuring internet connectivity for all Canadian communities is the fourth part of the Liberal Party’s “Rural Canada Matters” initiative. I’ve also recently announced the Liberal Party’s plans for Canada’s first National Food Policy and measures to help attract doctors and nurses to underserved rural communities, and to support Canada’s volunteer firefighters through a $3000 tax break.
We’re presenting Canadians with a clear choice. The Liberal choice is to pay down the Conservative deficit and invest in priorities like universal broadband access. Stephen Harper and the Conservatives would rather choose more tax cuts for corporations that our country and our families can’t afford.
Our commitment to these initiatives is possible because of what I announced at our recent Canada at 150 conference. We would take the $5 billion to $6 billion a year the Conservatives are planning to give to large corporations in tax cuts, and invest in deficit reduction and economic initiatives that will have lasting, tangible benefits for Canadians from all walks of life.
I hope you’ll take a moment to let me know what you think of this policy of bringing high-speed internet connectivity and expanded cell phone coverage to all Canadian communities on my Facebook page. I’d also like to remind you to RSVP to join me for an online town hall tomorrow, Wednesday, May 5 at 3:30pm EST on Liberal.ca
Michael Ignatieff
Photo : Alex Skochinski
