Madam Speaker, I suspect that this hon. gentleman, as every other one of the Liberals who have stood up, have not taken the time to look at the Reform's actual document, the fresh start for Canadians. In taking a look at it they would realize that there is a very specific plan.
Let me talk specifically about the fact that we would be increasing the basic amount of the basic personal deduction from $6,456 to $7,900.
I have two questions and I will keep them very short. I wonder if this member and every other member of the Liberal caucus is aware of this fact. Since 1983-and we always say, Liberal, Tory, same old story, and the Tories started this-they decided that they were going to de-index the relationship of the basic personal exemption from anything to do with inflation unless it exceeded 3 per cent. This was really cute because obviously if inflation only went to 2.9 per cent, then the basic exemption would not increase. It was a very subtle and quiet way and one which most Canadians were not aware of that if there had been full indexing as originally had been envisioned with the basic exemption, that in fact the basic exemption today instead of being $6,400 and change would be $7,800 and change.
It is no coincidence then that the Reform Party is simply giving back to Canadians that which the Liberals and the Tories have taken away. When we increase the basic exemption from $6,400 to $7,900 we change the fact that the people at the low end of the scale who are earning for the sake of argument, $500, $600 or $1,000 a month, would suddenly find themselves not paying any tax at all. That by the way is also part of the story where we are increasing the spousal amount from $5,380 to $7,900 as well.
I wonder if the member is also aware of the way that he and the Tories have been very quietly taking money from people. In fact we have been accused of doing a flip-flop on the $4 billion to be able to support health care and the Reform Party position is that after we have achieved a balanced budget we would then proceed to put $4 billion back into health care. It is he and his colleagues over a two year period who have removed $7 billion from that package, yet they have the audacity to say that we are the people who are doing the cuts. It is the Liberals who have done the cuts and the Reform Party is going to put the cuts back where they should never have been taken from in the first place.
Is the member aware of the fact that this basic exemption creep has been happening as a result of the traditional old parties just taking more and more money out of Canadians' pockets? Is he also aware of the fact that it is he and his colleagues who have removed $7 billion from health care funding in Canada?