Mr. Chair, I thank the member for Winnipeg South Centre for her question and for providing dedicated service to her constituents.
Our government holds a fundamental belief that those who work hard to earn their dollars deserve to keep them. That is why we have cut taxes in every way that they are collected. In total, our government has reduced taxes over 180 times, bringing the overall federal tax burden to its lowest level in over 50 years. This includes fulfilling our commitment to cut the GST twice.
It is good for the overall economy. Putting more money back into the pockets of hard-working Canadians allows them to save for their future and spend on important priorities for their families.
Today, because of tax relief and benefit increases introduced by the Conservative government since 2006, a typical two-earner family of four is better off by up to $6,600. The opposition parties would return us to deficits and increase taxes on Canadians. They do not understand that keeping taxes low for all Canadians will ensure our long-term prosperity.
Beyond tax relief, our government also understands that Canadians expect high-quality health care services and education. That is why our government has balanced the budget while increasing transfers to the provinces for health care and social services by record amounts. In fact, major transfers to provinces and territories, including the Canada health transfer and the Canada social transfer, will amount to almost $68 billion in 2015-16, an all-time high.
Economic action plan 2015 builds on the government's record of support for Canadian families by continuing to help them save. Through our new family tax measures, every single family with children under the age of 18 in Canada will be better off.
We will introduce tax relief for seniors and persons with disabilities to make their homes more accessible, as well as measures to help students pay for their education.
Since 2006, the government has introduced measures to make life more affordable for families. We have reduced the lowest personal income tax rate and increased the basic personal amount. We have cut the GST from 7% to 5%. We have introduced pension income splitting. We have established tax credits to support low-income workers, public transit users, first-time homebuyers, and families caring for disabled relatives.
We have provided additional support for families with children through the children's arts and fitness tax credits, an enhancement to registered education savings plans, and adoption expense tax credits. Most recently, our government has introduced a new family tax cut, enhancements to the universal child care benefit, and an increase in the maximum dollar limits of a child care expense deduction.
Canadians of all income levels have benefited from the income tax relief introduced by our government, with low- and middle-income Canadians receiving proportionately greater relief.
This year Canadian families and individuals will receive $37 billion in tax relief and increased benefits as a result of actions taken since 2006. For example, a typical two-earner family of four will receive tax relief and increased benefits of up to $6,600 in 2015, thanks to measures such as the family tax cut, the universal child care benefit, the goods and services tax rate reduction, the children's fitness tax credit, and other measures.
By reducing taxes year after year and enhancing benefits to Canadians, the government has given families and individuals greater flexibility to make the choices that are right for them.
