Mr. Speaker, I have been listening to shall we just say a revisionist and selective way of looking at the history of taxation.
The hon. member does not talk about the fact that since coming to office in 2006 we have proposed over some 100 tax reduction measures in our various budgets and removed 950,000 low-income Canadians completely from the tax rolls. We reduced the overall tax burden on Canadians to its lowest level in 50 years.
The member also conveniently does not tell this House and Canadians what his leader says. His leader is quoted in the Sudbury Star as saying:
Further income tax cuts we do not believe are wise at this point or affordable, given the investment priorities. The GST proposal is one we think is wrong-headed.
Then the leader went on to say according to the Victoria Times-Colonist:
I've never campaigned on tax cuts and I've never promised not to raise taxes if it needed to be raised. I don't see taxpaying as a sin.
These are quotes from reputable newspapers about their leader.
I would say no tax is a good tax but some taxes are necessary because we have to pay for things like health care and the various things that the federal government is responsible for.
The members are heckling and asking for that, so I answered them. I have many more quotes that if they wish I could bring out. I wonder if he could respond to this--