House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2019, with 57% of the vote.
The Economy January 29th, 2016
Mr. Speaker, our first step was to cut middle-class taxes. That will help nine million Canadians by reducing their taxes and letting them keep more money in their pockets. The second step, the Canada child benefit, will improve things for nine out of 10 families with children. More money for families will help improve the lives of hundreds of thousands of children.
Finance January 29th, 2016
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member on the opposite side for giving me an opportunity to explain that we are going to introduce the Canada child benefit. It is actually going to focus on those Canadians with children who need help. Nine out of ten families with children will be helped through our new benefit, and we will raise hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty.
Finance January 29th, 2016
Mr. Speaker, the previous government racked up $150 billion in debt for the country. We now face a deficit left by the previous government. Our plan is to actually take a new path, a path of growth. We are bringing money into the economy through tax cuts. We are bringing money into the economy through the Canada child benefit. We are going to stimulate the economy over time through our infrastructure spending in Canada.
Finance January 29th, 2016
Mr. Speaker, we had the challenging situation of coming into office after the previous government did not steward our economy effectively. We were left with an understanding that there was a surplus, but we found out that there was a deficit. They miscalculated where we were at.
In my economic and fiscal update, we gave Canadians a clear and transparent understanding. We do not focus on one month. We look at the whole year, and it is quite clear that we are working from a position of a deficit left by the government on the opposite side.
Natural Resources January 29th, 2016
Mr. Speaker, we are pleased to say that we are showing economic leadership in this country.
We have started off with an important first step. We have reduced taxes on nine million Canadians. Our next steps will also be important. We are going to help the most vulnerable with the Canada child benefit. We are going to make investments in infrastructure that will make a short-term, medium-term, and long-term improvement in our economy.
Natural Resources January 29th, 2016
Mr. Speaker, first, we want to set the record straight. There have not been pipelines to tidewater over the last nine years.
We need to have a new process, a process that would engage Canadians, because we understand that Canadians need to have confidence in any measures we take. We are working together with all constituents to ensure that we can actually improve our situation, in this new government.
Natural Resources January 29th, 2016
Mr. Speaker, we recognize that people in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Newfoundland are challenged with changes in commodity and oil prices. We are working together with them. The right thing to do is to help Canadians.
I spoke yesterday with the Alberta Minister of Finance to see how we could work together. I am pleased to say that he understands that there is a stabilization fund that Alberta can apply for, and the potential is for up to $250 million. Should Alberta apply, we would work expeditiously to move forward on that request.
Income Tax Act January 29th, 2016
Mr. Speaker, we believe it is critically important that we are open and transparent with Canadians. We also believe it is very important that we help Canadians understand their tax situation. Therefore, in introducing this measure early, we enabled people to have a good understanding of what their 2016 tax situation is.
Tax reductions start at the beginning of the year. This allows employers to actually manage their deduction process.
Tax-free savings accounts start at the beginning of the year. This allows people to plan for their financial situation.
We believe it was critically important to get this out so that people could understand their position and plan accordingly.
Income Tax Act January 29th, 2016
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Ottawa West—Nepean for her question. It provides me with an opportunity to reinforce the importance of both this first step and some other steps that we are taking to help Canadians who are struggling to get by or who have not had a raise for many years.
First and foremost, this first plan is critically important. Nine million Canadians would have more money in their pockets this year as a result of this reduction in taxes. It is a critical first step, one that would aid those families who have found that their net after-tax income has been stagnant for a long time.
However, we are not going to stop there. We plan, in budget 2016, on making a very important step toward helping our economy to grow. We know that economic growth is the thing that is most important for families who are struggling to raise their children. We plan on investing in infrastructure across this country—infrastructure that can be started quickly, in many cases—to make a long-term, productive impact on our country. We know that is what is critically important, not only for middle-class families today but for their children and grandchildren. If we can make investments that would make a difference for them, it is critically important.
We will also be making investments for those people in our economy who are vulnerable and challenged, like those people from our indigenous communities and those who are most vulnerable, so that they too—
Income Tax Act January 29th, 2016
Mr. Speaker, I would first like to thank the member for Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques for his important question.
Our tax cut for the middle class is a first step, one that we think is very important. With this first step, we will be helping nine million Canadians by lowering taxes, leaving more money in their pockets.
This is only the first step, because we know that other measures need to be introduced to help the most vulnerable Canadians. That is why, in our 2016 budget, we will introduce our second step, which is the Canada child benefit. That will be a very important step for the most vulnerable Canadians, and it will help nine out of 10 families with children.
What matters, I think, is that this measure is going to help hundreds of thousands of children currently living in poverty. This means that we can help families and children living in poverty, and at the same time, this will also help the economy. Thanks to these measures, those who are the most vulnerable and the middle class will have more money to spend, which will stimulate the economy.