Shelly Glover

[Taxation, March 22nd, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, once again, I have already answered this question: the tax credit was not working.

However, the real question is this: will the opposition support economic action plan 2013, which supports skills development, persons with disabilities, youth, aboriginal people and newcomers to Canada?

Will they support help for manufacturers and their employees? Will they help small businesses to create jobs by supporting our budget? I hope they will, because Quebeckers are counting on them to give us their support.

[Taxation, March 22nd, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, I will repeat what I said previously. The tax credit did not favour economic growth and job creation, as indicated by independent experts, including the OECD, during our consultations.

We are replacing this credit through the government's new strategy for venture capital by investing $400 million. Ontario has also eliminated this tax credit. The provinces are free to choose their own investments. For our part, we are listening to the experts.

[Taxation, March 22nd, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, first, as we have always said, we are on track for a balanced budget by 2015.

Credit unions will still have access to the small business tax rate, like all other small businesses in Canada. The additional deduction is an outdated tax preference and is no longer necessary given the benefits of our new tax rates. That is why Quebec eliminated its reduced rate in 2003.

[Taxation, March 22nd, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, once again, the NDP is really out of touch on this one. The credit unions will continue to have access to the small business tax rate on the same basis as every other small business in Canada. The additional deduction is an outdated tax preference and is no longer necessary, due to changes in the small business tax rate.

So out of touch is the NDP that it did not even realize that Quebec eliminated special access for credit unions to its reduced provincial tax rate in 2003.

[Small Businesses, March 22nd, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, the member knows very well it was a simple, technical fix on that credit.

Here is what the Canadian Federation of Independent Business has said about economic action plan 2013:

Overall, this is a good budget for small business. [The minister] has done a solid job by remaining on course to eliminate the deficit while announcing some important measures for Canada's entrepreneurs[....] We're particularly pleased the government publicly acknowledged taking some of these measures—such as the expansion of the EI Hiring Credit—at the recommendation of CFIB's 109,000 members.

[Small Businesses, March 22nd, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, as the member knows, this is just a minor change to ensure that the dividend tax credit is appropriate.

Rather, the issue is this: how does our record compare to the NDP's? We have done a lot for small businesses in previous budgets and in this one. The NDP, however, told Washington that Canadians' jobs are worthless. We stand with Canadian businesses, and we will always do so.

[Taxation, March 22nd, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, as I said, the tax credit was not working and the provinces are free to find other means of investment. We will listen to the experts.

We have seen the NDP's record and how they throw up roadblocks to job creation and investments in our country. We will not listen to the NDP either. We have created 950,000 jobs since the recession and we will continue to create jobs with the budget we just tabled.

[Taxation, March 22nd, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, the tax credit was not helping stimulate economic growth and job creation. That is what we learned from our consultations and independent experts, such as the OECD.

We are replacing the credit with the government's new venture capital strategy by investing $400 million. The Province of Ontario has also eliminated this tax credit.

The provinces are free to do what they want and to find their own means of investment. We will listen to the experts.

[The Economy, March 21st, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, they cannot handle the truth. It includes a $21 billion carbon tax, a $34 billion tax hike on job creators and $56 billion in new risky spending.

[The Economy, March 21st, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for the question. Indeed, the NDP did recently release a pre-budget wish list.

This socialist spending spree included all the reckless taxing and spending that we have come to expect from the NDP, like a $21 billion carbon tax, check—