Kevin Sorenson

[Economic Action Plan 2014 Act, No. 2, December 4th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my hon. colleague for his question.

This budget was brought down in February of last year. We have had ample opportunity to look through the budget. The budget implementation act no. 2 came in this October, and again, we have had debate in the House on that.

The member referenced the economy. Since forming government in 2006, and even going into the global downturn, we have had the strongest economic growth of any country in the G7. Our economy has been managed. We have come forward with economic action plans and a strategy. When we moved into a global downturn, we said that it was going to be a difficult time, but we had a strategy.

Whether it be by the OECD or the IMF, Canada is recognized as the place to be. There have been 1.2 million jobs created since the downturn. The second part of the budget is part of that plan.

[Poverty, December 1st, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, our government is responding to social needs. We have increased social transfers to the provinces.

Ontario will receive $19.2 billion in federal transfers this year, an increase of 76% over the old Liberal government, with almost $2 billion through equalization, $12.3 billion through Canada health, and $4.8 billion through the Canada social transfer.

Those are transfers that help people, reduce poverty, and help find jobs.

[Taxation, November 3rd, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, our universal child care benefit is going to provide $720 more a year for every child under the age of 18, with $1,920 for those children up to age 6. This monthly cheque will help Canadians make ends meet. It will help them pay for priorities in their families, like groceries, after school activities and even saving for post-secondary education.

The tax measures, the benefit measures, the universal child care enhancement are going to be measures that benefit families.

[Taxation, November 3rd, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, every Canadian family with children will have more money in their pockets. That is over four million families. Each and every parent with children will benefit. That is over seven million parents.

However, the Liberal leader is against giving money back to middle-class families and has said that he can convince Canadians to accept a tax hike.

Unlike the Liberals and the New Democratic Party, we will not hike taxes on families. Our Conservative government is giving money back to those who know what is best for their children, and that is mom and dad.

[Taxation, November 3rd, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, no government in Canadian history has provided more funding to the provinces for health care, and it continues to grow.

Unlike the old Liberal Party, which cut funding for health care, we have raised transfers to the provinces for health care by nearly 60%. We will take no lessons on health care transfers and on keeping taxes low from the Liberal Party.

[Taxation, November 3rd, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, our Conservative Party has a low-tax plan. The family that the hon. member has mentioned is already benefiting from the low-tax plan of this party, the low-tax plan that they have appreciated.

The Liberal leader has pledged that if elected he would hike taxes for Canadian families. According to the media, the Liberal leader is even looking at reversing the doubling of the children's fitness tax credit. He said that he believes he could convince Canadians to accept a tax hike.

We reject that Liberal plan. We reject the Liberal leader's plan to raise taxes for families. This party is the only party that—

[Taxation, November 3rd, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, again, the Liberal Party fails to understand the basics of this very popular family tax cut plan. Under our plan, every Canadian family with children will have more money in their pockets to help make ends meet. That is over four million families. The majority of benefits will go to low and middle-income families.

Our government made a commitment to provide tax relief to families, and it is keeping that commitment. We realize that the Liberal Party also has made a commitment, and that is to take that money and take it back to the coffers of Ottawa.

[Taxation, November 3rd, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, the enhanced universal child care benefit would provide $720 more a year for every child and $1,920 for a child up to the age of six. This monthly cheque would help Canadians make ends meet and pay for priorities like groceries, after-school activities for their children, and savings for post-secondary education.

By giving cash back to Canadians, we are allowing parents to make the choice on what their priorities are for their families, not some government bureaucrat.

[Taxation, November 3rd, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, parents who are raising a family are working parents. Parents who are struggling to keep money in their pockets to put their children into hockey or into dance are working parents.

Why does the New Democratic Party forget that under our plan, single parents with two children and earning only $30,000 a year would receive an extra $1,500 back into their pockets?

Only our Conservative government knows that Canadian families know best how to raise their children.

[Taxation, November 3rd, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, our government is bringing forward tax measures for families that would help put money back into their pockets.

The New Democratic Party has a plan that would only help a small number of Canadian families. Our plan would give all Canadian families with children a choice. Unlike the NDP, which wants to force a massive $5 billion big, bureaucratic, one-size-fits-all child care program, we would be putting cash back into the pockets of Canadians so that they can make a choice for their own children.