moved that Bill C-502, an act to amend the Income Tax Act (deduction of expenses incurred by a mechanic for tools required in employment), be now read a second time and referred to a committee.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to speak to this bill, which I introduced in the House in order to raise an issue that has been around too long and is harmful to the growth of an essential sector of Canadian and Quebec industry, namely auto mechanics.
I introduce this bill on behalf of all the women and men who work as auto mechanics and have been calling for this bill for some years now.
Mr. Speaker, you are a democratically elected member of parliament, as I and every one of the 301 members of this House are. We all know that when we are campaigning and visit various car dealerships and garages, the mechanics frequently raise the issue of having a tax deduction for the cost of purchasing tools.
I am calling for the co-operation of the House for I believe that there is nothing partisan about this legislation in the least. The bill is presented with no malice and no ulterior motive, and I trust that my colleagues of all parties will subscribe to it.
I take care to point out that it concerns mechanics and not the broader issue of the automobile, because I would need a number of hours more in order to explain the negative effects Quebec has felt since the implementation of the auto pact.
In this regard, I will simply say that since its implementation a number of years ago, this trade agreement with United States has benefited Ontario only. Given that 97% of automobile assembly takes place in Ontario, clearly the auto pact benefited Ontario. It explains in large measure the difference in the rates of unemployment between Quebec and Ontario.
We are not talking here about automobile mechanics in the true and literal sense of the word. Instead, we are talking about men and women who, day in day out, slog under automobile hoods in often difficult working conditions.
There is winter when they have to work under cars with salt, snow or slop literally running down their faces. These men and women slog, their hands covered in grease, in an effort to repair what many people—often the poor—consider one of their most valuable possessions. For many people, their only possession—when it is not borrowed from the bank—is a car. These men and women must be encouraged, and this is the intent of this bill.
I say cars represent one of the most valuable possessions because of the major financial investment that their purchase or lease represents for Canadian and Quebec households.
We want to be able to make use of this investment, which we pay back at the end of each month to the bank, for a long time. This is why everyone wants cars to be well maintained and the necessary repairs made, hence the absolute necessity of being able to count on trained, competent and motivated mechanics to work on their cars and trucks.
As things now stand, it is difficult for these mechanics to be able to work under ideal conditions because of the high cost of buying the tools they need.
Since my time is running out, I will conclude by saying that I am counting on all members of the House to support this bill. These men and women are asking the government to allow them to deduct from their income the cost of buying their tool set, which can run from $5,000 to $40,000.
Ultimately, what we want is for all of society to benefit.