Mr. Speaker, as budget time approaches I would like to remind the finance minister that the previous government increased taxes to individuals 34 times, while the level of corporate income taxes have remained virtually the same over the past 10 years.
It is time that the hard-working people of this nation, Canada's workers, farmers and small business people received a break.
I hope the finance minister will at least retain if not improve programs such as home ownership and agricultural income maintenance programs such as GRIP and NISA.
By closing the corporate loopholes that have cost the treasury billions of dollars each year in lost revenues more equity and fairness can be established in our tax system and Canadians can continue to rely on programs which have given them at least a fighting chance in improving their lives.