moved for leave to introduce Bill C-241, An Act to amend the Excise Tax Act (school authorities).
Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to introduce my first private member's bill in the House of Commons this afternoon.
Canadians pay for their schools through municipal or provincial taxes. The schools are then charged GST on almost everything they purchase. Then they are reimbursed 68% after completing time-consuming paperwork quarterly. My bill seeks to amend the Excise Tax Act to have them reimbursed the full 100%.
As a former executive member of the Saskatchewan School Boards Association and a long-time serving member of the local school board in Saskatoon, this has been a passion of mine for the last five years. Now, as a member of Parliament, I hope to rectify this situation with my private member's bill.
It is such a simple statement and amendment of only 30 words. It is so little, but it would mean so much to so many in our classrooms in our great country of Canada.
I hope my colleagues will support my bill today.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)