Thank you, Minister.
We've heard a lot of words, but I'd like to focus on numbers a bit.
In the past year you've certainly been quite vocal about the middle-income tax cut, which works out to about $1 per day. If my numbers are correct, this tax increase to the CPP is considerably higher than that. In fact, if my numbers are correct, if someone earns about $30,000 a year, they would pay about an extra $500 a year in CPP premiums but would receive no middle-income tax reduction.
You mentioned a government promise, but there was also a promise in the last election campaign to reduce the small business tax by 1%, if I recall. That was reneged on, and now you've added a small business tax in the way of CPP employer contributions.
I'd just like to get your response. Are my numbers correct? If they're not, please correct me, because I want to work from facts, but I haven't seen anything that shows those numbers as being incorrect.