House of Commons photoLost his last election, in 2015, with 43% of the vote.
The Economy January 27th, 2015
Mr. Speaker, as I have said before, because of the instability of the oil market, we will not present a budget before April. We need to have all of the facts. That is the prudent thing to do. The opposition apparently would prefer to leap forward with its plans to increase taxes, increase the debt, and drag down our economy. We are presenting a policy that will advance the prosperity and the security of Canadians now and for future generations.
The Economy January 27th, 2015
Mr. Speaker, the PBO is one of many forecasters and has shown that the government can in fact reach a balanced budget next year, which we are of course determined to do.
Our government has a low-tax plan for jobs and growth, and it is working. There are 1.2 million net new jobs and a superior growth rate to that of other G7 countries overall. We are proud to lower taxes and we are proud to provide benefits to four million Canadian families.
The opposition would put forward policies that would raise taxes and increase debt.
The Economy January 26th, 2015
Mr. Speaker, falling oil prices will have an impact on the government's room to manoeuvre. However, we are going to balance the budget by 2015.
Falling oil prices will affect the economy in various ways. As I said, there will be a drop in the price of gasoline and energy prices for manufacturers, including Quebec manufacturers.
The Economy January 26th, 2015
Mr. Speaker, the member of the opposition may not want to acknowledge that we have emerged from the greatest recession since the Great Depression more quickly and in better shape than other countries. We have half the debt of the G7 countries, on average, in relation to our GDP. We are growing faster than most of the G7 countries. Canadians are benefiting in terms of their net worth and in terms of their income, and we are able to sustain this international shock because we are in such strong fiscal shape.
The Economy January 26th, 2015
Mr. Speaker, as I have said, we will not have a budget before April because of the current instability in the market. We want to have as much information as we can.
Canadians should understand that the implications of a precipitous drop in oil prices will have different effects on the economy. Everyone knows it is going to advantage people at the pumps, which should increase either consumption or savings. It will advantage manufacturing and transport companies. It will raise global growth around the world, but it will have negative effects on part of the economy. We are taking that all into consideration in planning the budget.
The Economy January 26th, 2015
Mr. Speaker, whenever I have an opportunity to attend an international conference, I am struck by how positive the experts, decision-makers, and economists from around the world are in the way they view Canada and the Canadian economy. Certainly that was the view at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
In contrast to that, the opposition members are mired in negativity and a desire to talk down Canada's success, and they do that with all their lopsided presentations. Canadians have a more positive view of Canada, a more accurate view. It is our view. We will not talk down Canada. We will—
The Economy January 26th, 2015
Mr. Speaker, we will not be cutting expenditures. We will be honouring our commitments to Canadians. We will be providing tax breaks to four million Canadian families and tax breaks to small businesses. We will continue on our low-tax plan for jobs and growth. We will reject the high-tax, high-spend policies of the NDP, which would bring us to ruin.
The Economy January 26th, 2015
Mr. Speaker, the government is focusing on what is important to Canadians: jobs and economic growth.
Over 1.2 million net new jobs have been created since the recession. The IMF and the OECD both predict that Canada will be among the G7 economies with the strongest growth in the coming years. According to a report published by the International Labour Organization on wages, Canada has the second-best wages of all the G20 countries.
The Economy January 26th, 2015
Mr. Speaker, the member opposite does not seem to listen to the answers. I said that two-thirds of the benefits will be going to low- and middle-income Canadians.
There has been a 45% increase in the net worth of Canadians since we took office, a 10% increase in real income, and 14% for lower-income Canadians. We have created 1.2 million new jobs and we are continuing to grow at a superior rate to that of developed countries.
We have a lot to be proud of.
The Economy January 26th, 2015
Mr. Speaker, I am proud that our government has presented a benefit plan for four million Canadian families, every one of them, a plan whereby two-thirds of the benefits will go to low- and middle-income families, with 25% going to families earning less than $30,000 a year. We are also providing a tax benefit for 780,000 small businesses, 90% of all businesses.
We are doing what is right for Canadians. What the NDP proposes would create deficits. It would cancel the tax plan and go back to the old days of high spending and high debt.