Mr. Speaker, before question period the member was commenting on a suggestion that the first $250,000 of income be tax free. I believe the member's response to that suggestion was that that was the kind of progressivity that we should have.
It makes me reflect on the issue of progressivity in our tax system. For members information, progressivity is a principle by which the ability to pay is a founding principle. It means that at certain thresholds as our income grows the rate of income taxation would increase.
The member for Calgary Southeast once explained to the House that a 17% flat tax or single rate tax was a progressive tax because the more one would make the more one would pay. That is kind of interesting. Mathematically it is true but progressivity it is not.
Could the member square the fact that he is a proponent of progressivity in our income tax system, yet his party continues to suggest that we should not have different rates of taxation depending on how much we make. Rather we should lower it so high income earners pay less money under a flat tax or single rate tax and in fact pay the same effective tax rate as low and middle income Canadians.