Mr. Speaker, yesterday the NDP leadership contestants gathered for a debate on families. What families heard was a lot about expensive and unaffordable new government programs. They heard no practical measures that would help Canadian families who are working to get ahead. The NDP would create disaster for Canadian families and be a threat to their financial well-being.
The NDP poses a threat to the great advantages provided by the universal child care benefit. The member for Parkdale—High Park has said that this direct assistance to parents is poorly-spent money. The NDP would prefer that everything be controlled by a bureaucracy.
Other schemes are no better. Candidates like the members for Skeena—Bulkley Valley and Outremont are promising a cap and trade carbon tax. This would increase the costs for gas, electricity and nearly everything else.
Higher gas prices, higher taxes, ending choice in child care and a less prosperous Canada are the--