Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to speak this evening on Bill C-502.
I will make it clear that the subject here is automobile mechanics and not the far broader matter of automobiles in general. Otherwise I would have needed several hours to address the harmful effects Quebec has experienced since the inauguration of the auto pact.
No, here we are dealing with mechanics, the men and women who toil away day after day under the hoods of our cars, their hands covered in grease and grime, repairing what we consider a very precious possession.
These are possessions we are still making monthly bank loan payments on and we want to keep them running as long as possible. At the present time it is very difficult for mechanics to work under ideal conditions because of the high cost of the tools they need to do their jobs.
In fact mechanics usually have to provide many, if not all, of the tools required for their work. In addition to being very expensive, some of these represent more than a one-time expense.
Technological change quickly puts some tools out of date, new ones have to be bought.
In short, it costs a mechanic several thousand dollars in order to be able to perform his job because there are exceptions as my colleague for Lotbinière has just mentioned.
Mechanics in Quebec and Canada are in an unfair situation. It is high time that parliament remedy this. This is why the member for Beauport—Montmorency—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île-d'Orléans introduced this bill, which is intended to help these thousands of workers who make our life easier and who are at a huge disadvantage compared to other workers.
I am sure that this measure will permit fair taxation for our fellow citizens who deserve it amply.
There is an injustice. And we know what corrective action must be taken. I ask my colleagues opposite to be tricked into inaction until a global solution is found to the problem of federal taxes in Canada. After all, if anyone deserves a review of current federal taxes in their favour, it is the Canadian and Quebec middle class.
This bill is therefore vital because it allows us to correct an unfair situation that affects many young people who lack money as they come out to school. Without these—