I am President of the Association des propriétaires de Québec, which has been in existence since 1933. It was founded in 1933, during the great crisis from 1929 to 1939.
Small- and medium-size businesses could, without subsidies, be created or consolidated by citizen patrons or parents. These parents have property frozen because of capital taxes. Their children are virtually forced into homelessness. It is not normal for a self-respecting society that believes in family, that believes in small towns, villages and citizens not to respect that principle.
That's why I am here as president. These people could sell their property without paying capital gains tax, with a guideline, of course. Jean Chrétien realized the sum of $100,000 in 1996. Stephen Harper and Paul Martin promised to do something about capital gains. It is time to look into this question.
I have here an article by Claude Castonguay, stating that the income taxes of the middle class and corporate income taxes, particularly the capital tax, should be reduced. My presence here is related to that. We have studied this question for a number of years, and a majority of ridings in eastern Quebec have proposed to take another look at capital gains. It is time that both those promises, that of Mr. Harper and that of Mr. Martin, were kept.
Mr. Chair, how much time do I have left?