Kevin Sorenson

[Finance, April 29th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, our government has demonstrated an unprecedented commitment to enhancing financial literacy in Canada. We created the Task Force on Financial Literacy and provided new resources for the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada. We have also appointed a new financial literacy leader, Ms. Jane Rooney, to help ensure that Canadians of all ages can make solid financial decisions.

I would encourage the Liberal leader to take advantage of these important initiatives. Perhaps he can learn about the tough decisions and the focus on priorities that are necessary to balance budgets.

[The Budget, April 28th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, federal support to Ontario has increased by 76% since this government took office in 2006.

Federal support will total $19.1 billion in 2014-15, a whopping $8.3 billion increase from under the previous Liberal government.

After years of inaction by the previous Liberal government, our Conservative government took real action to support Ontario. We made changes Liberals refused to make and then voted against, including moving to equal per capita transfer support, a move supported by the former Ontario premier.

[Pensions, April 28th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, the New Democratic Party's plan to raise CPP payroll taxes while our economy is still in a fragile recovery can cost thousands of jobs in the economy. Maybe the NDP does not understand how the economy works. It should know that it is very difficult to have a healthy retirement plan today if one does not have a job today.

Despite the NDP's reckless plan, we continue to stand up for lower taxes, job creation, and economic growth for all Canadians.

[Pensions, April 28th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, why does the New Democratic Party not understand that hiking Canada pension plan costs for Canadian workers and decreasing their paycheques while the economy is still in the middle of a fragile recovery can kill thousands of jobs? In fact, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business estimates that the plan put forward by the NDP's big union bosses could end up getting rid of 235,000 jobs.

Families simply cannot afford higher CPP payroll deductions. Canadians cannot afford higher CPP payroll deductions. Canadians cannot afford the NDP.

[Economic Action Plan 2014 Act, No. 1, April 8th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for his speech, which I felt was one of the better speeches given in this House on this budget. It is a remarkable speech. I thank the member for his passion for our country and for recognizing this opportunity. I also want to thank him for his work on the finance committee.

The member talked about consultations as we went into the budget. Yes, I had the pleasure of seeing many members of Parliament holding these pre-budget consultations across the country, so I want to thank the member for that.

In his speech, the member talked a little about keeping taxes low, coming to a balanced budget in 2015, and not diminishing transfers of any type to our provinces or territories. He also mention EI premiums. Again, the opposition was pushing for increased taxes. The opposition has never seen a tax it would like to cut. Certainly, we froze the EI premiums.

I wonder if the member would speak a little more about the importance his constituents place on a balanced budget, on keeping other payroll taxes low, such as the Canadian pension plan, and on the good measures we have brought forward for helping seniors and for helping young people prepare for retirement.

[The Economy, April 3rd, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, the budget we brought forward is a budget that is going to help create jobs. It is a budget that is saying that we are going to help with the skills development of all Canadians, young and old. This budget also says that we are going to come to balance in 2015.

What statistics has Stats Canada come forward with? Because of the policies this government has brought forward, the median net worth of Canadian families has increased by 44% since 2005, and New Democrats keep voting against these measures. Shame.

[The Economy, April 3rd, 2014]

Again, Mr. Speaker, all the measures this government has brought forward, cutting taxes 160 times—the average Canadian family of four is saving over $3,400 per year in taxes—every time the opposition members have voted against. They are voting against every job-creation measure. They are voting against youth employment measures we brought forward, investing $330 million per year through the youth employment strategy. They vote against supporting paid internships for recent post-secondary graduates. They vote against helping young entrepreneurs. They vote against—

[The Economy, April 3rd, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal leader has no idea what it is like to be in the middle class.

He has voted against our tax cuts. He has voted against the budgets that were there to create jobs and protect jobs. He has voted against middle class families on every vote on budgets.

The Liberal leader has threatened dangerous new deficit spending that would take Canada down the same roads as Detroit and Greece.

I am not surprised that someone who believes that “the budget will balance itself” would also believe that we can spend our way to prosperity.

[The Economy, April 3rd, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, even though the global economy remains fragile—it is a fragile recovery, especially in the United States and Europe—our economic policies have helped protect Canadians. Over a million net new jobs have been created since July 2005, with over 85% of those being full time and over 80% in the private sector. That is the best job creation record in the G7 by far. Under the action taken by the Conservative government, Canada will continue to have one of the lowest youth unemployment rates in the G7.

[The Economy, April 3rd, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, StatsCan has confirmed that families are better off today under the Conservative government than under previous Liberal governments, without question.

The very same statistics indicate that median net worth of Canadian families has increased by 44% since 2005. Again, after-tax disposable income has risen by over 10% across all levels of income since 2006.