国际英语新闻：Canada's economic action plan creates 420,000 new jobs: PM

MISSISSAUGA, Canada, Dec. 2 (Xinhua) -- Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced here on Thursday that the country's economic action plan has been successful in creating jobs and economic growth during the world economic recession.

"Canada's Economic Action Plan is working," stated Harper, adding that since July 2009 more than 420,000 net new jobs have been created across the country and about 23,000 projects are underway or completed.

The Canadian government has provided 16 billion Canadian dollars (about 15.93 billion U.S. dollars) to modernize public infrastructure, including roads, bridges, water, parks, transit and recreational facilities.

While the vast majority of infrastructure projects are expected to be completed by the ambitious two-year deadline (March 31, 2011) set out by the government, a small percentage of projects have been delayed for a variety of reasons.

"Today, we have extended the deadline for completion of Economic Action Plan infrastructure projects by one full construction season, to Oct. 31, 2011," said Harper. "This will allow sufficient time for completion of the remaining projects."

The extension applies to projects funded under the Infrastructure Stimulus Fund, the Building Canada Fund Communities Component Top-Up, the Recreational Infrastructure Canada Program or the Knowledge Infrastructure Program.

In February 2009, the Harper government launched Canada's Economic Action Plan, one of the most comprehensive stimulus packages in the industrialized world.