Candice Bergen

[Taxation, November 7th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals and the NDP are absolutely on the wrong side of this issue. Every Canadian family with children will benefit, and when it comes to our income-splitting family tax cuts, in fact close to two million families will benefit.

What are the Liberals thinking? What are they doing voting against a great measure that will put money in families' pockets, and in fact, committing to reversing it and reversing it for seniors? One has to wonder, who are they listening to? Who is advising them? It is very bad policy.

[Taxation, November 7th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, it is interesting, because the Liberal finance critic, in 2003, said that income splitting was good. The leader of the Liberal party said that he was misguided, but he clearly is misguided; look who is guiding him on financial policy.

We know that the Liberals would not only reverse income splitting for families, they would reverse it for seniors. They would increase taxes and the burden on seniors and on families. We are going to put more money into the pockets of Canadian families. Liberals are going to take it right out. We are not going to let that happen.

[Child Care, November 7th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, we know that the NDP and the Liberals voted against our plan to expand the universal child care benefit. We know that given the opportunity, they would claw it back. They would take it away to fund their $5 billion huge scheme that would only help less than 10% of Canadian families.

We have seen their true colours. We have seen how they have voted and what they have said about the universal child care benefit. Canadians know that if the NDP had the chance it would take away that benefit that families depend on.

[Child Care, November 7th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, here is the difference between our plan for helping families with child care and the NDP's. The NDP plan is a $5 billion plan that would help less than 10% of Canadian families. What we believe is that families need choice. Not every single family chooses a nine-to-five formalized daycare option. Many families either use a private daycare or they might use other family members to help. We believe families should have the choice and the decision-making power. That is why the universal child care benefit is being increased and expanded to let families make the choice.

[Taxation, November 7th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, actually every single Canadian family with children under age 18 will benefit from our announcements that we announced a week ago. Under our family tax cuts, close to two million families will benefit, as well as the increase to the universal child care benefit. Another really good feature of what we have announced is the expansion of the amount that individuals and families can claim for child care expenses. We have increased that by $1,000 in every one of the categories.

We know that the NDP and Liberals would end income-splitting for families. We know they would take away the universal child care benefit. Families can only count on this government to keep money in their pockets.

[Housing, November 6th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, our government is actually ahead of what the NDP is even suggesting, because we have already signed investment in affordable housing agreements with the provinces across the country. What those agreements do is provide funding to the provinces. They then look at what their priorities are. Some provinces are using it to create new housing units, some are using it for rent subsidies, some are using it to increase seniors housing, because the provinces know what their needs are. We do not believe it should be Ottawa telling the provinces how to address their housing needs.

We provide the funding and together with our partners, we have actually helped over a million families and individuals with their housing needs. That is working together with the provinces and letting them do what they do best, which is recognizing their needs in their particular jurisdictions.

[Taxation, November 6th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, that member is completely wrong, and I understand why the Liberals do not want Canadians to know about the fantastic benefits they will be receiving through our family tax cut as well as our universal childcare benefit expansion. A single parent with two children, earning $30,000, will receive over $1,500 per year under our plan. A single parent making $50,000, with two kids, will see almost $1,000 in relief and benefits.

Close to two million families, half the families with children, will receive direct benefits. Again, the Liberals do not like that, because they want to keep taxes high. They do not want money in the pockets of families.

[Taxation, November 6th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, the income splitting, the family tax cut we have introduced that we are going to be giving to families, will impact close to half the families, 1.7 million families, in Canada. Two-thirds of those families are moderate- to low-income. In addition to that, as we are so pleased to have told families, we are increasing the universal child care benefit as well as expanding it.

Canadian families count on this government, count on Conservatives to put more money in their pockets. We will follow through on our commitment to Canadian families.

[Taxation, November 6th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, under what our Prime Minister announced last week, every single Canadian family with children under 18 will benefit from this.

Here is the difference between Conservatives and Liberals. Liberals think that if we put more money in parents' pockets, they will spend it on beer and popcorn. We disagree. We believe that helping families make their lives more affordable is good for the economy, is good for the country, and is good for Canadian families.

[Poverty, November 5th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, Canadian families are collectively shaking their heads at the NDP when we have a plan that UNICEF has said helped lift 225,000 children out of poverty by directly putting money into the pockets of Canadian families. The only plan that the NDP has is very expensive, and it would take money out of their pockets.

Canadian families can trust this Prime Minister, this Minister of Finance, and this government to keep putting their money into their pockets, not into government coffers.