Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I actually appreciate the comments around the mandate of this committee.
We do know that many families are struggling and many people are struggling, and the Canada disability benefit is something we'd all like to see advanced much more quickly.
I want to discuss something. In March of this year I brought forward a motion that I didn't table. I just sent it out to committee. Really, I'm interested in tax credits. What are the tax credits like? How can we increase income for people?
I know that one thing for sure is that seniors and persons with disabilities often don't file their taxes. They don't get their taxes in on time, and then they lose their GIS and they lose some of their income supports and entitlements. I found out over the past two years that there are students coming out of school who don't understand what entitlements they have and what income supports they have.
Although I'm all for trying to understand how we can increase income for people, I'm concerned that this one is narrow in its scope, that it's just looking at the carbon tax. It's too wide of a scope. I would like this committee to sit together. Maybe we can have a discussion about really taking a look at income supports that vulnerable people need, income supports for vulnerable people that they haven't accessed, entitlements that they're allowed and that they deserve but that they haven't been able to access because of different barriers and maybe even because they haven't filed their taxes.
Something I am thinking about is automatic tax filing. It would be a great opportunity to increase income.
Although I like the spirit of it, I think we need to have a wider discussion about how we support vulnerable people in this country.
I'll just leave it there.