Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure for me to rise for a second day in a row to present another petition from the residents of Mackenzie, British Columbia, in my riding of Prince George—Peace River. The petitioners demand that Parliament restore their eligibility for the northern residence tax deduction.
As with many of Canada's northern and remote communities, it is difficult to attract and retain employees such as skilled trades people and health care professionals, without this tax deduction which is designed to counterbalance the higher cost of living.
The government's inexplicable decision to revoke Mackenzie's eligibility is blatant discrimination, and I call upon the government to reverse that.