Conservative Leader Stephen Harper says his party is offering incentives to help grow employment within the economy, while his opponents are pushing economic policies that will drain billions from taxpayers.
Harper told reporters Tuesday that the Conservatives intend to offer a one-year Employment Insurance tax break that will encourage small businesses to take on more employees.
The incentive offers a credit of up to $1,000 against any increase in an employer's EI premiums in the 2011 tax year, which will make it cheaper for employers to hire new workers and to grow their businesses.
"This new $1,000 credit will be available to over 500,000 small employers and will reduce their payroll costs in 2011 by about $165 million," Harper said during a campaign stop at a boating shop in Regina.
Harper, with wife Laureen along with him, also checked out some boating merchandise at the Performance Marine shop.
Harper used the example of the Regina shop and its owner, Jeff Lorch, to drive his points that small business is "a critical engine to Canada's economy, often leading the way in job creation and growth."
"Obviously it will help those businesses keep employees and it will also be an incentive for them to increase their employees," Harper said. "I think it's a good measure to keep and increase employment in this country."
The small business hiring credit was part of the 2011 budget that the Conservatives presented to Parliament only three days before the government was brought down by a non-confidence motion last Friday.
Harper has used the now-defunct budget as a key campaign plank during the campaign so far, and at each stop, he has blamed his political rivals for killing off policies that would have benefitted Canadians.
The Conservative leader also claimed that his opponents want to make changes to the EI program that could cost up to $4 billion annually to implement. Harper said EI premiums would have to rise 35 per cent to cover such cost increases.
"That kind of reckless increase would be fatal to small business payrolls, killing existing jobs, not just new ones," Harper said.
Harper said Canadians need "a stable government that will return to Parliament to pass the responsible, affordable and targeted policies of our budget to deepen the business recovery that is starting to kick in and to keep us on the right track economically."
The Saskatchewan stop is designed to put pressure on incumbent Liberal Ralph Goodale in the nearby riding of Wascana. The Conservative candidate is Ian Shields, who will try to take away a rare Liberal seat in an otherwise Conservative region.
Harper is set to stop in Winnipeg Tuesday night for a large rally with regional candidates.
