Madam Speaker, it is a pleasure for me to rise today to speak to Motion No. M-318. The PC Party is willing to support the motion on behalf of charities across Canada.
With the latest round of government downsizing charities across the country have been placed under even more pressure and perform wider ranging activities. A perfect example of this is the Victorian Order of Nurses. The VON is a national organization with branches reaching across the country. In recent years the role of the VON has been forced to expand exponentially as our health care services have been cut by the Liberal government. Many branches have been forced to increase their fundraising efforts to make up for the decline in funding resulting from higher cuts at the federal and subsequently provincial levels.
The VON branch in my riding of West Nova and those in many other areas have suffered severe funding cuts from the municipalities as the counties struggle to deal with cuts from provincial and federal governments.
A charity organization like the VON offers essential health services to the elderly in my riding. Programs like PEP, promoting elderly participation, which was initiated with the help of Health Canada during the Conservative government, help to keep seniors active and involved with other citizens in their community. These are programs that no longer receive government funding. The charities have had to find alternative funding arrangements to continue their services.
Meanwhile VON groups are also forced to fundraise to subsidize visiting nurses programs to individuals who need to be checked at home. For the elderly who cannot afford to pay for home visits, these services are essential to their health care. These visiting nurses programs combined with PEP, respite care and Meals on Wheels would not exist if it were not for the dedication and perseverance of volunteers and the generosity of donors.
When a person representing a political party in Canada can offer a potential donor a greater tax incentive to donate to a political party than an individual canvassing for a group like the VON, or many other worthwhile charities that provide essential health services, it uncovers an injustice in our tax system. It also highlights a larger problem: the complexity of Canada's tax code.
If I had a complete copy of our tax code today it would stand nearly the same height as I am from the floor. Filing a tax return should not require an individual to hire a tax lawyer or an accountant. We are talking about dealing with our own government and having to hire someone to do it for us.
When I stand in the House to discuss tax relief for low income Canadians it should be remembered that tax reform should not make tax more complex. The guiding principle behind tax reform should be tax simplification. Even the finance committee recognizes the need to assist our charities in their efforts to expand their fundraising activities.
During prebudget consultations last year witnesses before the committee suggested the exact motion we are debating today. The finance committee included it as a recommendation in its report to the Minister of Finance.
In conclusion, charities like the VON and many others should not be at a disadvantage compared to political parties when canvassing for donations. If we were to increase the charitable donations to be in line with the political system, charities across the country would receive enormous benefit. These charitable organizations offer essential services to society and should be encouraged, not discouraged, from continuing their activities.