Election Candidate profiles: Conservative-Moe Comuzzi

I am a lifelong resident of Thunder Bay, an accomplished business professional, and a community leader with a solid track record of getting the job done.
I am dedicated to creating job opportunities in the Thunder Bay region and boosting the economy of the region.
I want to bring stability to Thunder Bay-Rainy River and will do so by maintaining a high standard of business practices, tough decision-making, and balancing the priorities of our residents and families.
Why are you running to be the MP for Thunder Bay-Rainy River?
I am running in this federal election to be your next MP because I respect the leadership of Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who has ensured Canadians are safe in times of uncertainty.
He has helped Canadians prosper with lower taxes for our families, seniors, and small businesses; and because of this government’s hard work to ensure job creation in spite of tough economic times globally.
The Conservative government has a proven record of economic strength under the strong and balanced leadership of our prime minister. When the world is faced with uncertainty from international groups that want to destroy our way of life, Stephen Harper has acted with certainty and decisiveness, battling terrorism and the likes of ISIS, unlike what our opposition party would do.
As a businessperson, I know the value of hard work. In Canada, this is where most jobs are created. The small business tax credit provided by this government has created hundreds of thousands of well-paying jobs in Canada—jobs that put food on the table, roofs over our heads, and puts clothes on the backs of our kids.
I want to be able to continue to create great jobs in Thunder Bay-Rainy River. Our young people deserve a choice about where they live and we need to have good-paying jobs for them to come home to.
What is the single-most important issue to you in this federal election?
My most important issue is job creation. We can do this in a number of ways—ensuring the transportation infrastructure is established and constructed to make the “Ring of Fire” accessible for mineral extraction and the thousands of jobs created as a result: well-paying, permanent full-time jobs.
Through the New Building Canada Plan, $80 billion is available over the next 10 years for infrastructure projects that create jobs. In addition, funding is available for infrastructure projects that support roads, bridges, recreation, marina, downtown, small business, new entrepreneurs, manufacturing, forestry, mining, tourism, and agriculture.
All these projects will create new well-paying jobs.
If elected, how would you help kick-start the economy in the riding?
It would be a priority to see the Fort Frances mill up and running again. I will work diligently with the provincial MPPs, Town of Fort Frances, and area communities to see the mill change ownership, including a successful negotiation of wood supply rights in order to operate.
Federal funding is available to assist the forest industry to operate more efficiently, and to stay competitive in innovative and new markets.
Should the pensions of retired workers be taxed?
The Harper government has cut taxes and enhanced direct benefits to Canadian seniors, making retirement more affordable.
Since 2006, the Harper government has created $3 billion in additional annual targeted tax relief for seniors and pensioners. Some 2.7 million seniors have opened Tax Free Savings Accounts and will benefit tremendously from the new $10,000 contribution limit.
Pension income-splitting is providing considerable tax relief to more than one million senior couples. Increases to GIS benefits are helping Canada’s most vulnerable seniors.
As a result of the Conservative government’s new measures, about 400,000 seniors have been removed from the tax rolls completely.
Recognizing the unique financial challenges that single seniors can face, a re-elected Harper government will establish a new Single Seniors Tax Credit for single and widowed seniors who have pension income.
When combined with the existing Pension Income Credit, this new tax credit will allow single seniors to receive up to $600 in tax relief every year.
Should the government enact a stricter immigration policy?
Last year, 262,625 immigrants became Canadian citizens—the highest number in Canadian history. This represents a 32 percent increase over 2005.
More than 1.6 million immigrants to Canada have become citizens since Stephen Harper’s Conservatives were elected in 2006, an annual average of over 180,000 new citizens.
The Conservative government has increased immigration to the highest sustained level in Canadian history, admitting nearly 2.6 million permanent residents from 2006-15—an increase of 20 percent over the previous Liberal government’s level of immigration.
New applications now are being processed in less than 12 months. Faster processing times are a result of Conservative investments that funded better technology and increased processing staff, as well as changes in Bill C-24, the Strengthening Canadian Citizenship Act, that make the system more efficient than ever before by cutting red tape in the citizenship process.
The prime minister has made it clear that keeping Canadians safe is a priority of this government. As a result, the government has prudent immigration policies that can be enforced while demonstrating that the length of time for processing applications can be expedited to address the current refugee crisis in countries experiencing civil unrest.
If you could be any animal, what would it be and why?
If I could be any animal, I would be an eagle. The eagle symbolizes strength, power, authority, and protector of family.