Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I, too, was born here in Saskatoon, although I represent a riding in Manitoba. I left Saskatchewan when I was four, but I'm proud to be home once again, where most of my family lives.
I have to say that we live in absolutely the greatest country in the world.
Here's why. I was a pregnant teen. I was on welfare with two children. I was a single mother in 1988. I remember all of those points you brought up, Ms. Kozak. I remember thinking what a wonderful thing it would be not to have to be on welfare, but I didn't think that the way to do that was to ask for more money on my welfare cheque. I wanted a job. I wanted education.
I agree with you. We have presented, through policy in Canada, the opportunity for pregnant teenagers to become members of Parliament, for poverty to be erased from those situations, for all of us to be lifted up so that we can support ourselves and be proud of what we've done.
That's why I disagree wholeheartedly with what Mr. Marston had to say. If I were on welfare now and someone said to me, “Do you know what? I'm going to raise all the taxes for all the corporations”.... Six hundred and fifty thousand jobs were created because of the low-tax agenda we have. Those jobs would disappear. That's because Mr. Marston wants those corporations to pay more.
As the government, we are also collecting income taxes for those 650,000 jobs and giving every person who has a job pride in what they're doing, pride in their achievements.
So I thank you, Ms. Kozak, for mentioning many of these wonderful things you've put forward. Earlier, you mentioned seniors and the excellent measures that have been put forward to help lift seniors out of poverty. Can you just touch on the ones that you think were most effective in doing that?