Mr. Speaker, in his speech, the parliamentary secretary once again boasted about the merits of the GST holiday that the government adopted with a super closure motion and that we did not even get to study and analyze in committee.
In our opinion, the GST holiday does more to help higher-income households. Suspending the GST on diapers and children's clothing is obviously a good measure. However, considering the key items covered by the exemption, such as junk food, chips and soft drinks, nutritionists are telling us this is not a good idea. As for alcohol and restaurants, it is mainly wealthier people who are going to benefit in proportion to their income.
Rent and basic food, which make up the bulk of low-income households' expenses, are already GST exempt. All that is left are heat, electricity and phone bills, but they are not part of the measure. Why not simply double the GST credit to help those who really need it?