Ted Menzies

[Taxation, April 16th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker—

[Taxation, April 16th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, I will repeat that our low-tax plan continues. We started it in 2009 after the recession and we continue with it now. We are one of the few countries that has been able to reduce taxes as our economy continues to grow and as the number of jobs in this country continues to grow.

That is important to Canadians. We will continue on that path, and it would be very nice if the opposition would actually read the good things in the budget to get Canadians back to work and keep the economy growing.

[The Economy, April 16th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, there is a plan. It is the economic action plan, and the NDP has voted against it every single time. That plan has put us in an enviable position.

Rather than listening to the opposition, let me quote what the IMF actually said today: “Canada is in an enviable position.... At this stage, the policies that are being deployed are, in our minds, broadly appropriate”.

I would rather listen to the IMF, Mr. Speaker.

[The Economy, April 16th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member must have been reading a different IMF report from the one I was reading.

The IMF today reaffirmed the fact that Canada continues to lead the G7 countries in economic growth. We have the best financial record in all of the G7. It is not just the IMF that has said that. All three of the credit rating agencies continue to rate Canada as AAA. Our bonds are sought after from all over the world. The NDP does not recognize any of that.

[Taxation, April 16th, 2013]

As a matter of fact, Mr. Speaker, we continue to reduce the taxes that seniors pay. We have taken one million Canadians completely off the tax roll. If the NDP were ever allowed to impose taxes on Canadians, and God forbid, I am not sure where seniors would be other than in the poor house, because that party would increase the costs that every senior deals with on a day-to-day basis. We will continue on our low-tax plan.

[Taxation, April 16th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to clarify for the hon. member. I am quite sure that the parliamentary secretary is actually going to support the budget. I would encourage those hon. members to do that too.

The hon. member has been giving speeches in the House and meeting with her constituents and explaining to them that this is a continuation of a low-tax plan. We have started on this plan and we will continue on it because it is working. It has helped businesses grow. Businesses have hired nearly 900,000 new Canadians. That is important. That is what they care about.

[Taxation, April 16th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, that is pretty incredible coming from the NDP that wants to, first of all, put a carbon tax on every item that Canadians purchase. We have totalled it up. It is somewhere in the neighbourhood of $56 billion worth of promises. There is only one place where that party will go to get that money and that is the Canadian taxpayer. We will have none of that.

[Taxation, April 15th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, I understand that the Liberals continue to support higher taxes. In fact, that hon. member, I believe, introduced a carbon tax in British Columbia that it actually has not quite got over.

As I said before, we have eliminated 1,900 tariffs on products coming into Canada. We continue to do that to make sure that Canadian companies and Canadian consumers have fair pricing.

[Taxation, April 15th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, I tend to trust some of our unbiased advisers. Let me read what the Montreal Board of Trade said:

We're happy the government was able to stick to its plan to eliminate the deficit without raising taxes.

That came in economic action plan 2012.

The Edmonton Sun referred to:

The fact that there are no new taxes in [economic action plan 2013]..., and that the Conservatives still plan to balance the books....

That is who we should be listening to.

[Taxation, April 15th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, once again that gentleman obviously does not understand the issue at hand.

We have continually reduced taxes for Canadians. As I referred to earlier, we have reduced 150 different taxes to Canadians. We make sure that what they are going to buy is available. Through this measure, we will be able to make sure that continues. We just wish that the opposition would actually get on board and support this, because it provides fairer competition to Canadian manufacturers.