Madam Speaker, the member for Surrey Central along with his previous colleague made the argument that Canadians would not be very happy with the tax package because even though it was $100 billion it would complicate things. Of course even their own tax proposals do not uncomplicate things, as they have said in this Chamber.
While we all agree that tax simplification is perhaps a good objective, with respect, I believe the member is missing the point. Canadians do want tax relief. They embrace this tax relief, the largest tax relief package in the history of this country.
Then the member for Surrey Central, along with previous colleagues, argued that the tax relief package was really not $100 billion and was somewhat less. He argued, for example, that Canada pension plan increases should come off that amount. He and Canadians know that the Canada pension plan is an employee-employer based contribution pension scheme where Canadians are investing in their future retirement, health and well-being. It is not a tax. The premiums do not go to consolidated revenue. It never was a tax, never has been and never will be. He knows that is disingenuous at best.
He also argued that by reindexing the tax system that that was not a tax saving. I used some examples earlier. A one earner family with two children today is making $40,000. By the end of this tax relief package their federal tax burden will be reduced by 59%. That is 59% less federal income tax that they would pay compared with what they would have paid if this was not implemented. To say that cannot be counted as tax relief is absolutely incredible.
I would like to put this question to the member for Surrey Central. Leading up to this budget, Alliance members invariably stood up in the House and said that the Liberal government had increased taxes a multitude of times. We had not increased taxes at all. They were really saying that because we did not reindex the tax system we were effectively increasing the tax. I think that was their point. When asked to name the tax increases, they could not because taxes had not been increased.
How can they now claim that because we have reindexed the tax system, before it was a tax increase, but we cannot now say it is a tax decrease? Could the member explain that?