House of Commons photoLost her last election, in 2015, with 40% of the vote.
Taxation March 27th, 2013
Mr. Speaker, I guess girls can cook but they cannot read budgets.
Canadians can check for themselves on pages 331 and 332 of the budget. All the new Conservative taxes are laid out there.
Yesterday the minister claimed that no one would find tax increases in this; yet we have found plenty of them. Let me try a specific example. Could the Minister of State for Finance acknowledge that the budget raises taxes on life insurance?
Taxation March 27th, 2013
Mr. Speaker, going-back to the budget, the Conservatives' doublespeak has reached new heights. After promising no new taxes, pages 331 and 332 of the budget have in fact a long list of tax increases. There are increases to credit unions, new taxes on safety deposit boxes and a $1.1 billion tax hike on imported consumer goods.
Now that the minister of state has had 24 hours to reflect on yesterday's answers, would he now acknowledge that he was wrong and admit that the budget included new tax hikes?
Taxation March 26th, 2013
Mr. Speaker, even if we do not manufacture the same things in Canada, it does not make sense. The fact is the Conservatives are increasing the tariffs of over $300 million and even callously raising taxes on hospital parking. This budget is a tax shell game and it is hitting Canadians right in the pocketbook.
The Minister of Finance has admitted he does not know what the costs will be to consumers, so why are Conservatives playing games with Canadians? Why are they pretending to lower tariffs and then turning around and raising them by over $300 million?
Taxation March 26th, 2013
Mr. Speaker, for the Conservatives it is not enough to tax the hospital parking fees we pay when visiting a sick family member. The Conservatives have also increased customs tariffs, which will increase the cost of almost everything. This $300 billion increase contained in the budget will have an immediate impact on Canadians' grocery bills.
Why are the Conservatives refusing to be honest? Why are they shamelessly picking Canadians' pockets?
The Budget March 25th, 2013
Mr. Speaker, let us deal with some facts here. The Minister of Finance admitted that there was a decrease in funding, not an increase in infrastructure funding.
The Conservatives leak the contents of the budget when it suits them. They let out information about hockey equipment tariffs, but hidden away deep in the budget was a $300 million hike on other tariffs. They use deceptive leaks to cover up massive tax hikes.
Why are they not just being honest with Canadians about the real impact of their budget?
Infrastructure March 25th, 2013
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives are just playing a shell game when it comes to infrastructure spending. They are renaming some programs. They are cutting others. However, the net result is clear: over $1 billion taken out of infrastructure spending in each of the next two years. With crumbling bridges, gridlocked roads and transit being starved, it is a shell game that will cost our cities dearly.
Why the deception? Why are the Conservatives claiming that their budget increases infrastructure when their own budget numbers contradict them?
Infrastructure March 22nd, 2013
Mr. Speaker, it is too bad that it would deliver after the year 2020 and beyond.
The Minister of Finance admitted that he would cut infrastructure funding, right before he headed to the hills to avoid selling his budget. The fact is that for the next four years, federal infrastructure funding would be $4.7 billion lower, and there is still a $120 billion infrastructure deficit facing our communities. With tens of thousands of jobs on the line, crumbling bridges, roads in gridlock, transit being starved, why are the Conservatives taking this reckless approach?
Infrastructure March 22nd, 2013
Mr. Speaker, it is Conservatives who should redeem themselves because the reality is we would have more than $1 billion less in infrastructure.
The reality is that over a billion dollars less is being invested in infrastructure. Even the Minister of Finance admitted it yesterday.
These cuts will cause the loss of tens of thousands of jobs. The rebuilding of vital roads and bridges will be delayed or even abandoned.
Why does the Minister of Finance not take infrastructure funding more seriously?
The Budget March 22nd, 2013
Mr. Speaker, the government has increased costs to Canadians, but often by stealth. Conservatives like to say they are not increasing taxes, but EI premiums go up, fees go up. Through privatization measures, things tend to cost more for Canadians. For newcomers who are often scrambling to get every penny they can when they come to Canada, seeing an increase in the fee to come here and become citizens is yet another barrier to new Canadians.
The Budget March 22nd, 2013
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. It is a very pertinent question because this government claims to be talking about jobs, job creation and creating prosperity when, in reality, it is cutting jobs and hindering prosperity.
With the labour-sponsored funds tax credit, we have seen and continue to see direct investment in job creation, and the number of jobs created can be tallied.
Eliminating this tax credit means eliminating this job creation tool, which will not be replaced by real job creation measures. This is really mind-boggling, coming from this government. I would say that it is more ideological than pragmatic.