Mr. Speaker, I have heard several members talk about things such as getting rid of the child fitness tax credit. One of the things that stands out to me from before the election was a conversation I had with someone who was telling me that she could not afford to actually sign her daughter up for soccer, because she could not afford the cleats or the registration fees. This was something that was outside her means. What she needed was help to afford that initial cost.
I was looking at an article by the CBC, which reported that when the tax savings from this tax credit were analyzed, the credit began to look more like a windfall for rich families, which could likely afford the activities regardless, rather than something that helped pay for what lower-income parents could not otherwise afford. I put that out there because I think what everyone wants to see from government is that we are smart about the decisions we make with a budget and our spending.
Would the member not agree that doing something like the Canada child benefit, which gives money to families in need so they can actually sign up their children to participate in those sports is a better decision than having a tax credit available so that wealthy people can sign off on something they were already able to afford?