Ottawa, March 11, 2009
2009-027

Archived - Canadians Can Track Progress of Economic Action Plan

Website helps hold governments and parliamentarians accountable

OTTAWA – The Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance today unveiled ActionPlan.gc.ca, a comprehensive new Government of Canada website that will allow Canadians to hold governments and public officials accountable for action on the economy.

"Canadians want governments and public officials at all levels to work together to stimulate the economy," Minister Flaherty said. "They want to see us taking action on the economy in an accountable and transparent manner."

ActionPlan.gc.ca includes details of Canada's Economic Action Plan, with links to specifics of initiatives and projects as they are announced. It also explains the roots of the global financial crisis and Canada's relative performance. The website will help Canadians to assess how well parliamentarians, provincial and territorial governments, businesses and others are contributing to positive action on the economy.

The website will be updated regularly.

"We are responding with unprecedented speed because we are in a global recession that has arrived with unprecedented speed," Flaherty said. "Canadians will now be able to measure progress so they can hold both elected representatives and unelected officials to account."

Later this week the federal Government will provide further reports of action to stimulate the economy through infrastructure investment and action to support workers hit hardest by the recession.

• Canada's Economic Action Plan contains five elements:
• Action to Help Canadians and Stimulate Spending
• Action to Stimulate Housing Construction
• Immediate Action to Build Infrastructure
• Action to Support Businesses and Communities
• Action to Improve Access to Financing

___________________________________
For further information, media may contact:

Chisholm Pothier
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Finance
613-996-7861

Jack Aubry
Media Relations
Department of Finance
613-996-8080

To receive e-mail notification of all news releases, please register at www.fin.gc.ca/scripts/register-eng.asp