Mr. Speaker, I appreciate your intervention. It was getting hard to hear myself over the noise in the Liberal corner over there.
As I was saying, I would like to challenge the NDP members here today, during this debate. I want them to state publicly and on the record the following. I want them to say that cutting the GST from 7% to 5% and leaving $1,000 a year in the pockets of a typical Canadian family was the right thing to do, or at least admit that it actually leaves money in Canadians' pockets, to let them decide how to use it.
Today's debate will run for about four hours and will include literally dozens of NDP speakers, and I only ask that one of the NDP speakers today, in front of all Canadians, make that simple statement. I ask if any NDP member will come clean with Canadians. Along with all Canadians from coast to coast to coast, I will be watching here today to see what the NDP will do.
While I hope at least one NDP member will apologize for their misleading antics, pretending they did not say what they have said, I would bet the NDP members will not once admit that cutting the GST to leave more money in the pockets of Canadians was a positive move.
Again, if the question is put to them, I hope the NDP members will not deflect, as the previous speaker from the NDP did. I hope they will answer the question sincerely and admit that they have stated some misleading things when they try to deny and say they have no intention of raising the GST. I think Canadians have heard their quotes here today. They need to admit to them or correct them or apologize for them.
Making sure that we have a low-tax agenda is something of which we are proud. We believe Canadians pay too much tax, and we continue to put forward budget after budget that does not impose new taxes on Canadians, and that includes budget 2013.
Anything the NDP members are saying about the general preferential tariff today is false. It is created, just like their attempts to say that raising the GST by their party is false. They have admitted it. They need to start telling the honest to God truth about their plans.