Mr. Speaker, I acknowledge my colleague for his speech today. It is an important speech and it is important that we have this member in our caucus now. Part of the excitement in the House may be because he does have a conviction around these issues. That is important for Canadians to hear.
I am especially pleased to participate in this discussion today, this opposition day motion, because we are talking about what affects all Canadians. It certainly affects my riding and people within my riding.
I represent a large rural riding. There are dozens and dozens of communities in my riding. Those communities include two cities and dozens of towns and first nations. When we talk about the economy and all the measures that affect Canadians, we look forward to creating a vision that will respond to all Canadians.
What are we talking about in terms of social impacts and people? We have heard that from some of the members. In fact, a member talked about people at the door, what they talked about and how they felt.
One of the major concerns I hear from the people in my riding is the disparity gap between Canadians. We are talking about income equality, the gap between the rich and the poor. What is the reality check? That this has been growing faster in the last decade than at any time in the last 30 years.
In 2004 the richest 10% of Canadian families, raising children under 18, earned 82 times more than the poorest 10%. In fact, the after tax gap is at a record high. We talk about unemployment being at a record low, the lowest in 30 years. However, this is at a record high, the highest it has been at any time in 30 years.
These are the concerns of Canadians, 65% of whom say they are not benefiting from economic growth. They feel income and wealth are getting concentrated at the top and so is power, leaving too many behind.
I thank the member for Markham—Unionville for his leadership in putting forward the motion today. It speaks to the continuation of the modern Liberal Party's history and leadership of fiscal responsibility.
When the Liberals took office in 1993, they inherited a disastrous financial picture from the previous Conservative government. Canada was a country with enormous debt and it was completely out of control. Our nation was at the point of a national fiscal crisis and the future appeared bleak.
Fortunately, through the 1990s and through decisions which were very difficult and tough to make, the Liberals delivered budget after budget of sound fiscal planning by consistently paying down the debt. Canada soon became a model for fiscal responsibility on the international stage, with the best book at the G-8. Most other advanced industrial countries began to take notes from our Liberal policies.
On the other hand, getting Canada's debt under control was and still is a priority for Canadians, and it continues to be a fundamental priority for us.
As a result of the measures taken by the past Liberal government, Canada is now in an ideal state to strengthen Canada's competitiveness with new investments to drive greater Canadian productivity.
What are we talking about? We are talking about physical infrastructure and new technologies, particularly green technologies. For the members opposite, that has to do with environmental responsibility. The government has the ability to provide the leadership on environmentally friendly investments through tax incentives and public-private partnerships.
I represent a northern riding, and I know I said that before. However, the environment, before it even hit the national agenda, was a priority in my riding.
Shortly after I was elected in January of 2006, I polled and surveyed the riding, and the environment was the number two concern of the people in the Churchill riding. That is because they live with the day to day impacts of global warming. The winter we campaigned was the warmest winter on record. People in my riding were well aware of that. They live on the land and they play on the land.
We also need to be making investments in research and development.
One of the members mentioned poverty. I do not know if I have ever heard that word from across the House. We talk about an anti-poverty campaign. How are we going to do that? We have to invest in our children. We have to invest in the future. We have to invest in the minds of the youth in our country.
We are talking about research and development and post-secondary education. If the Conservative government would actually listened to Canadians, it would hear the need for investment in training and enhancing our skilled workforce.
I am not alone in the House, representing a northern riding. Many of us have booming economies in mining and hydro development, yet we have a shortage of a skilled labour force. We do not even have the ability, as a country, to meet the aged-out population. As these baby boomers start to retire, we do not even have the ability to fulfill that labour market.
The government must invest in our youth. The government must lower corporate taxes, which will allow businesses to reinvest in new capital, while attracting fresh foreign investment in new business. We are fortunate to have a healthy and productive workforce in Canada.
With this in mind, the government must take responsibility and leadership to foster an environment that will enhance the opportunity to provide all Canadians with a strong future. In the era of budgetary surpluses, brought in by sound Liberal policies, Canadian families must reap the direct benefits through personal tax cuts. We have heard that many times today, yet the Conservative government raised personal income taxes.
The government must be held accountable and produce responsible and consistent policies. Unfortunately in this respect, the financial record of the Conservatives has been appalling. After attempting to hold themselves as the party of accountability, they broke a critical promise to seniors. In my riding, I had constituent after constituent write in about the income trust fiasco. This was a promise they had made to Canadians and it was a promise broken.
After people working their entire lives, pinching pennies and saving for their retirements, the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance went back on their words and announced the decision to tax income trusts. The decision wiped more than $25 billion in savings overnight from Canadians across the country. The Conservative government took advantage of the elderly. Canadians invested their money based on this promise and people's trust cost them.
The approach from the members opposite is dishonest and reprehensible, and the constituents in the Churchill riding deserve better. They deserve strong leadership and responsible government.
While claiming to speak for families, workers, the environment and Canada's aboriginal peoples, the past 20 months has resulted in cancelled child care agreements, a flawed softwood lumber deal, scrapped environmental programming and a death sentence for the Kelowna accord.
There is a need for a reality check by the government. I invite all members of the House to support this motion. I invite them to stand up for students, workers, families, northerners and women.