Mr. Speaker, many families come to my office. Two weeks ago, I was at the family celebration in Rivière-des-Prairies. The event was organized by Initiative 1, 2, 3 GO!
When we talk with people, we find out that some parents earn $15 or $10 an hour. We can all agree that that is not a lot.
I have a question for my colleague across the way, who says it is up to families to decide what to do with their money and to use it as they see fit. Yes, that is great, but they have to have money before they can decide what to do with it.
Can the hon. member explain how Canadians will benefit from these income splitting plans when their income is less than $44,000 a year or they earn $15 an hour?
What about couples who earn more than $44,000 a year but are in the same tax bracket? How will they benefit from being able to split their income? Is there really an advantage to that?
What is more, some families send their children to day care. However, in Ontario, the average cost of sending a child to day care is $2,000.
Can the hon. member explain to the House how an extra $100 a month is going to give these families the tax relief they need to make ends meet every month?