Madam Speaker, I am pleased to participate in this debate in the second hour of our consideration of Motion No. M-318 introduced by the hon. member for Fraser Valley. I remind the House of the motion we are debating, that in the opinion of this House the government should bring in legislation for making the tax deduction for contributions to charitable organizations no less than the tax deduction for contributions to political parties.
I have been a part of the charitable sector of our country for a lot longer than I have been a part of the political sector, so I speak to this motion with a degree of personal conviction and I support it.
I am reminded of the history of our country and the large part charitable organizations have played in that history, for example, in the growth of hospitals and schools. The community charity sector and the churches provided relief and assistance to those who were beyond their own means to look after themselves.
We are all well aware of the enormous benefits all of our country derives from the generous contributions and the generous efforts of various charities and the people who support them. To say these are not important is nonsense. We cannot diminish it.
For example, St. Paul's hospital in Vancouver is a hospital that belongs to the Roman Catholic Church. I am sure the church does not wish to do this but if it did it could remove those services. Here is an organization that has provided hospital care and educational facilities like schools for the full duration of our country's history.
To give a snapshot of charities in Canada, in 1996 nearly five and a half million people gave about $4 billion to the nearly 80,000 registered charities in this country. That is a lot of money. Charitable organizations are major employers in Canada as well as major contributors. They employ approximately a million people. We are not talking about an insignificant sector of our country.
I cannot fail to mention what it meant to charities when the government decided to cut back on the value of contributions by limiting the tax deductions available. Speakers have mentioned a number of times that you get $75 out of $100 on your tax receipt for political purposes and a $17 receipt for a $100 contribution to a charity.
I am not speaking against political parties and the need for people to participate in the political life of our country. This is important. I do believe the Canadian people put a lot more emphasis upon the need for people to participate voluntarily in the lives of our communities. Tonight we are discussing an issue of participation, the avenues of participating and the willingness of the government to facilitate that participation through gifts and activities.
I am reminded that charities may be around knocking on doors for the money they need. Often the money they use is simply to operate the machinery that provides an avenue for other people to contribute their time in large numbers of hours in a whole variety of ways.
Charities support a wide range of activities and provide a wide range of services, everything from health and welfare to athletics. Their contribution to the quality of life of individuals and the community is greatly appreciated and proven.
What would it be without those services that are given freely and generously by Canadians? This is even more the case in today's world as most of us have had to tighten our belts. We have seen this not only in our individual lives but governments in particular have had to change the way they spend public funds.
When I was a minister looking after a church and the needs of people in Vancouver, I was well aware of the consequences of the government's decision to take people out of the mental health institutions and move them supposedly to community based care. However, there was no community based care. We found large numbers of people walking on the sidewalks unable to care for themselves. And who but people like the volunteers, the Canadian Mental Health Association, the hospitals and the churches were able to look after these people.
I am aware that more people can give more money to charities. It has been mentioned that 75% of a person's income can be contributed to a charitable organization for a tax credit. However, how many people have it in their ability to contribute 75% of their income?
There are some who can, but these are not the people who get up in the morning and go to work every day. These are not the people who need to have all that they have to care for their children and families, to pay the mortgage and to look after their own immediate needs and if they are lucky, have a little bit left over to contribute to their favourite charity. Many people because they cannot contribute money, contribute time, but the time and the money go together.
I think it is a red herring to suggest that the government has provided opportunities for people to contribute more and more generously, when in fact the government has limited these opportunities and provided opportunities for people who are wealthy and can do this. In fact, the wealthier one is, the more one can contribute and the more benefits one can get for contributing. However, this does not speak to the needs of the average man and woman, their families and their desire to participate freely and voluntarily in contributing their time and money.
Charities have to work harder to ensure that people do not fall through the cracks. With the lack of adequate funds, it is becoming increasingly difficult for them to do this. This is why we see charities resorting to bingos and lotteries. As well they send vehicles from door to door to pick recyclable items and use this as a means of income.
It is estimated that for every 1% the government cuts from social service programs it takes an increase in donations to charities of nearly 6% to maintain the level of services. This increase is not happening. The charities are not getting this kind of increase. As a result, those who most require these services are not getting the assistance they need.
Individuals who donate to specific charities also want to have a say in where their money is going. This is not the same as when we hand over our money to the income tax department. It takes it with very long teeth and with the threat that if we do not do it, we may go to jail or it may raid our bank accounts. However, by giving to a specific charity we are supporting a self-approved activity and supporting a cause personally.
On the other hand, governments must identify needs to allocate the necessary resources to meet those needs. We know that needs to happen. We also know that political parties need to have money for their members to participate in the political process.
The reason we are asking this House to approve this motion is that this type of participation is just as important in the charitable sector as it is in the political sector.
I would encourage hon. members in the House to vote for this motion, particularly those members of the government party who are thinking that they should vote against it because it is going to cut back on government resources for their programs.
We have enough government. Our government is massive and big. We need to provide opportunities for individual Canadians to participate more and more on a personal basis with their time and with their means.