Madam Speaker, I listened very carefully to the member's comments.
I am going to quote him before I ask him a question. He said, “I can tell you what does not work, and that is higher taxes”. None of us disagree with him.
Government members say that taxes kill jobs. Those are the words of the Minister of Finance, which I can get for the minister. However, the government has just announced a tax on jobs of almost $7 billion in EI premiums.
Does the hon. member agree that is how to create jobs? If the hon. member believes in what he says, the government should take that $7 billion away and not burden small businesses.
On income trusts, the tax is to be 31.5%, the highest tax increase.
I will close with this: when the lowest income tax rate was at 15% under a Liberal government, the government of the members opposite increased it to 15.5% and called it a tax decrease.
Can the hon. member please answer for of us, and for Canadians who are listening, is that a tax increase or decrease the government is giving us?