Mr. Speaker, honestly, I think that is certainly something worth looking into. I cannot really answer that question without weighing the tax implications of such a measure. However, I would at least be willing to consider or study it.
As to the first part, I would like to get back to who wins and who does not win on this measure, even those who are making over $45,000, at which point the tax reduction starts to apply. Those numbers came from David Macdonald and were confirmed by other economists. That is from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.
He said that those families earning between $48,000 and $62,000 a year would make an average of $51. That is the remainder of the middle class, as defined by the income brackets. Those families earning between $166,000 and $210,000 a year will not get an average reduction of $51; they will get an average reduction of $813.
This is why this measure actually deserves to be voted on on its own merits.