I honestly don't know where to begin, Mr. Ellis. First of all, I'm a former president of a chamber of commerce. I've been an entrepreneur and a small business owner for over 35 years. I do know where I'm coming from. I didn't hear you mention our commitment to reducing the small business tax from 11% to 9%. A number of the polices that we have put in place that allow us.... There were at one time members who were called Progressive Conservatives. Those are the ones who felt it was responsible to support businesses, but our social responsibility to support housing and those supports that support Canadians in general....
Just for your own education, it may be helpful for you to read the reports that came from the Bank of Canada governor Stephen Poloz and from the Parliamentary Budget Officer who presented here last week. Read those reports, because I think they might help to inform some of your opinions.
I will just add that, on the price on pollution, we don't believe it should be free to pollute. There are Nobel prize-winning economists who have said that it is the right move, and I firmly believe that's true.
I'll move to CARP just quickly. Forty percent of the people in my riding of Northumberland—Peterborough South are over the age of 55. It's a rural riding, and the increase in the guaranteed income supplement helps a lot of single seniors, predominantly women who worked in the home, not outside the home, and who are often are still living on their family farm, because that's their only asset. That $1,000 a year was significant to them. The other thing is the reduction, of course, in retirement age from 67 back to 65, which is another opportunity to provide them money earlier than under the previous government.
Last, I have a question for you. As you look at the demographic of seniors.... I've actually gotten a good response on the annuity in my riding, and it's because, I assume, that the age that they're living to is so much older. I agree with you that the requirement to take out a certain amount every year was causing angst for seniors about whether they would outlive their money. This is one element to address that. I guess I would say it's a place to start, and I'd like to hear your thoughts on some other measures that might be appropriate.