Madam Speaker, most Canadians do not have $1,400 to donate to any charitable organization including political ones. The member should take back to his cabinet that the government should be increasing the amount of tax benefit individuals receive at the lower level because most people donate less than $200, not $1,400.
On the issue of the tax structure, our party's tax benefits and deductions are progressive. The current tax structure is a punitive tax structure. As an individual earns more, the system takes away more.
What that does to an economy was seen profoundly in the United Kingdom prior to Margaret Thatcher. Prior to Mrs. Thatcher the tax structure was similar to ours. The government member would call it progressive but in fact it was punitive. What it did was gut its economy. Mrs. Thatcher reduced taxes and managed to rejuvenate the economy.
Ireland is another example. It had a punitive tax structure such as the one that Canada has versus the more progressive one that it has today.
The government also has very sly methods of taking money away from individuals. I draw the attention of the House to one very important point. The government is giving money to our soldiers on the one hand and on the other hand it is yanking the money away with increased rents on their private married quarters and forcing them to pay for things they did not pay for before. It is giving money with one hand but taking money with two hands.
That is what the government is doing to the men and women in our military. It is disgusting. These people put their lives on the line for us and the government is shafting them. I will be raising that again with the Minister of National Defence as soon as possible. I have raised repeatedly in the past. I encourage the member to raise it and fight for it within his own caucus because this stone will not be left unturned.