Mr. Speaker, Canada's high taxes are threatening the continued presence and expansion of our high tech sector and some of our largest corporations.
The CEO of Nortel has said, “Canada has a problem. We are driving our talent away”. He was referring directly to the high taxes in Canada.
Last week the CEO of Newbridge cited the presence of headhunters scouring our markets in Canada as further evidence that our high taxes are creating an opportunity for high tech companies south of the border.
Nortel needs to hire about 5,000 workers for its research operations in Ottawa over the next four years and it is unsure whether it will be able to find these workers in Canada because of the high tax regime of the government.
It is not just hockey franchisees who are feeling threatened in Canada. Our high tech industries are pleading that our taxes in Canada are killing job growth and opportunities for Canadians. What will it take for the finance minister to recognize and truly act on the high tax policies that need to be addressed to create continued economic growth and expansion for our high tech sector?