Madam Speaker, I will be splitting my time with the member for Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo.
I am thankful for the opportunity to speak today against the tax and spend Liberals' latest attack on job creators with a motion calling for punishing new taxes. I really appreciate this opportunity to share some important information with Canadians.
First, let me state that one of my main concerns as the member for Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar is keeping families strong and secure. We all know one of the best ways to make that happen is to ensure there are good quality jobs and a strong local economy.
The global economy has been going through some very rough times lately as we have come through the worst recession since the 1930s. I am proud that our Conservative government has worked tirelessly over the past few years on improving the economy to help create and protect jobs.
At the centre of this effort was Canada's economic action plan, a massive $60 billion response to the global recession and a plan coordinated with provincial and territorial governments across Canada.
I encourage Canadians to visit www.actionplan.gc.ca to learn more about it, including all the great work and exciting job-creating projects that are benefiting many areas.
The plan has proved effective and actually helped Canada come through the recent worldwide economic recession in better shape than most of the industrialized world. Indeed, since July 2009, Canada has created over 460,000 net new jobs, far and above the strongest job growth in the G7 countries.
As an editorial in my local newspaper, the Saskatoon StarPhoenix proclaimed:
But [the Prime Minister] and the government deserve credit for getting such a massive undertaking underway in a timely fashion and, in spite of complaints from opposition benches...the program was balanced and effective.
This backs a recent study done by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development that complimented Canada for its stimulus program and for navigating the troubled waters of the global downturn better than almost any other developed nation...Canada stepped up quickly this time and, by doing so, was able to avoid the worst of the short-term damage from the recession... the current administration can take a bow for the effectiveness of its stimulus program.
We know the global economic recovery is still very fragile and too many Canadians are still looking for work. That is why our Conservative government is staying focused on the economy and that means helping create even more jobs for Canadians.
One way we are strengthening the economy and helping create jobs is making Canada a low-tax environment.
First, we lowered taxes for hard-working Canadians, everything from lowering personal income taxes, increasing the amount Canadians earn tax-free, lowering the GST from 7% to 5%, creating the tax-free savings accounts and much more.
Additionally, we removed over one million low-income Canadians completely from the tax rolls. In total, since forming government in 2006, we have helped typical families by putting $3,000 back in their pockets where it belongs.
Ensuring Canadians keep more of their hard-earned money in their local economy instead of a big government in Ottawa helps keep households strong and supports their local economies.
Second, we lowered taxes for Canadian businesses both small and large. This helps entrepreneurs and businesses to create jobs for Canadians. Lowering taxes for these job creators means they keep more of their money to grow their business and hire more Canadians.
As the Liberal member for Kings—Hants once noted in the House:
There is no better tax reform in terms of its ability to attract investment and improve productivity, prosperity and the standard of living than corporate tax reform--
Some politicians, like the Liberal leader, say lower taxes are not what Canada needs. They want to go back to the era of big spending and big taxing government of the 1960s and 1970s. Who is going to pay for that big government spending in Ottawa?
Members may have guessed, it would be everyday Canadians through higher and higher taxes.
I do not believe that families in Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar should be forced to send more of their hard-earned money to Ottawa, neither do the job creators in my home province.
Let me share with the House what the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce, which represents nearly 1,000 businesses in my province, had to say. It said:
The Chamber...is extremely disappointed to see that the issue of planned business tax reductions, and the ability of Canada's businesses to foster sustainable economic growth, has become hostage to political manoeuvring...
Following through on the business tax reduction agenda is critical to moving from government- and Canadian taxpayer-funded stimulus to a private sector-led recovery. The Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce believes improving the business climate to trigger private sector investment is the most significant economic issue now confronting Canada....
The alternative to that, of course, is an increase in taxes. We do not believe raising taxes would be good for growth or employment. Sustainable growth requires private sector investment that can generate new jobs and federal revenues to pay down the deficit....
If parliamentarians renege on their commitment to continue with promised tax decreases, you can be certain that many businesses will not be able to pursue their plans...
Businesses across the country have invested with the understanding that taxes would decline. A sudden change of course would constitute a broken promise to thousands of businesses and the many people they have employed based on that promise.
We agree with the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce and job creators right across Canada. That is why we are fighting back against the Liberal tax hike plan. Our Conservative government believes that lower taxes are a key part of a plan to make our economy stronger and create good long-term jobs for today and for our kids tomorrow.
Recent independent third-party studies have supported that view. For instance, University of Calgary professor Jack Mintz, one of Canada's most respected academics, released a study showing that hundreds of thousands of jobs would be created by lowering business taxes.
The Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters also recently released a major report confirming that lower business taxes would mean more jobs and would increase the per capita income of Canadian workers by nearly $900.
Newspapers, politicians and businesses worldwide are noticing that Canada is a great place to invest and create jobs. That is good news for our economy and Canadian families.
The facts are clear. Canada has weathered the global economic recession better than most, and we are doing it with the help of our low tax plan. Hiking taxes and moving back to the failed era of big spending government, like the Liberal leader is pushing for, would mean hundreds of thousands of good Canadian jobs would be lost. That would only hurt and jeopardize the financial security of hard-working Canadian families.
If the Liberals do not believe what I have to say or what the businesses in Saskatchewan have to say, maybe they should listen to one of their own.
The member for Kings—Hants said that a country like Canada could not afford to have higher capital taxes, higher taxes on investment and ultimately on productivity and higher corporate taxes. He said:
—we cannot increase corporate taxes without losing corporate investment. If we lose corporate investment, we have a less productive economy....That means fewer jobs. That means more poverty.
Canadian families do not want more poverty, they cannot afford higher taxes and they surely cannot afford politicians, like the Liberal leader, trying to kill jobs.