Madam Speaker, I am pleased to be here today to once again discuss our government's priority, which is the economy and job creation.
I thank the Speaker for the opportunity to speak today on this very odd motion brought forward by the NDP.
I say “odd” because in it the NDP talks about its alleged concern about jobs, pensions, infrastructure and the economy. I say “alleged” because when it matters most, when the NDP actually has to vote on legislation or a budget that supports jobs, pensions, infrastructure and the economy, the NDP has always voted against.
Every single time, at every opportunity, the NDP has been a negative and ideologically rigid force voting against Canada's economic plan and its next phase. Indeed, let us only go back a few months to when our Conservative government introduced the next phase of Canada's economic action plan.
This is a positive plan for jobs and economic growth. It is focused on helping to boost the economy and on helping families during these turbulent economic times by flowing $1 billion in federal funding to provinces and territories for infrastructure projects in 2011-12; helping manufacturers by extending the accelerated capital cost allowance for two years; extending the eco-energy retrofit program to help create more energy efficient homes while generating local economic activity; renewing EI pilot projects, which would help the unemployed; extending work-sharing agreements to help protect jobs; creating a hiring credit for small business to help create jobs; and many more positive measures.
This is a plan that economists, business organizations, public interest groups and commentators applauded as a positive plan to create jobs and promote economic growth.
Indeed, let us listen to what some of them have actually said, because I listened to my colleague moments ago make up facts about what she suggests was said. I am going read the actual quotes so that there is absolutely no question in Canadians' minds about what was actually said.
Let us listen to the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters, who said it was:
....critical to sustaining Canada's economic recovery.
What about the Certified Management Accountants of Canada? This group said it will:
....contribute to keeping Canada globally competitive and ensuring that the private sector can fully contribute to economic growth and job creation.
Better yet, let us listen to what Canadians said on May 2, when they spoke with their ballots and elected a strong and stable national majority Conservative government to implement that plan.
However, the NDP ignored the experts, ignored the priorities of Canadians for jobs and growth, and decided to vote against the next phase of Canada's economic action plan, as it did at the height of the global economic recession, which the NDP seems to forget occurred when it opposed Canada's economic action plan. The NDP said “no” yet again and showed the type of rigid economic ideological thinking that Canadians do not need.
In doing that, the NDP also voted against a plan to support jobs and the economy, a plan that has worked, a plan that has in fact helped Canada's economy remain the most envied in the entire industrialized world during the turbulent economic times that we face.
Members need not take my word for it. Let us listen to some more quotes. Let us listen to Scotiabank economist Warren Jestin, who recently commented:
If you want to live anywhere in the world in today's global economy, Canada is the place you want to be.
What about Queen's University economics professor Tom Courchene? He stated:
It is true that we are in excellent financial and fiscal shape if you compare us with any of our trading partners...
I know the NDP likes to twist the facts, often for the sole purpose of talking down the Canadian economy and belittling Canada's economic leadership on the world stage, so I want to get some plain, indisputable facts on the table for the NDP and Canadians at home to dispel some of this absolute misinformation perpetrated by the NDP. These are facts from well-recognized and independent sources that Canadians can verify for themselves online, something that I challenge the NDP to do here today.
Here is the first fact: both the IMF and the OECD project that Canada will have among the strongest rates of economic growth in the G7 in the years ahead.
Here is another fact: Canada has created nearly 600,000 new jobs since July 2009, with over 80% of them being full time. That is the strongest job creation record in the G7.
Fact: For the fourth straight year, the World Economic Forum rated our banking system the world's best.
Fact: According to the IMF, Canada has, and will continue to have, by far the lowest total government net debt to GDP ratio in the entire G7.
Fact: Unlike the case with other countries, Canada's credit rating has recently been renewed at the best level by major agencies. Indeed, Moody's recently renewed Canada's AAA credit rating, praising our “...economic resiliency, very high government financial strength and a low susceptibility to event risk“.
Another fact is that our Conservative government's economic leadership has been repeatedly praised by everyone from economists to global leaders. Here is what BMO economist Doug Porter actually said in the finance committee the other day. Again, this is a quote, not a paraphrase, not a change or a twist of facts; these are his actual words:
Compared to policy-making in the rest of the world, Canada's economic policy-making has been exemplary. I don't think there's been a significant misstep in recent years.
This is what British Prime Minister David Cameron said in this very House only last week:
In the last few years, Canada has got every major decision right. Look at the facts. Not a single Canadian bank fell or faltered during the global banking crisis. Canada got to grips with its deficit and was running surpluses and paying down the debt before the recession, fixing the roof while the sun was shining. Your economic leadership has helped the Canadian economy to weather the global storms far better than many of your international competitors.
While the global economy may be turbulent and while too many Canadians are looking for work, Canadians can rest assured that our Conservative government has done, and will continue to do, everything possible to ensure we are in the best position to meet the challenges ahead. That is what Canadians want their government to do: stay focused on jobs and the economy, keep taxes low and respect their hard-earned tax dollars.
Our Conservative government gets that, and Canadians understand that we get that. That is why they gave us a majority government.
For instance, we, like Canadians, understand that small businesses are the heartbeat of the Canadian economy, and by helping them grow, we are helping create jobs in our local communities. That is why, in the next phase of Canada's economic action plan, we introduced a hiring credit for small business. This innovative job-creating measure will help an estimated 525,000 small businesses by giving them a leg up to expand and increase hiring.
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business labelled it an important step “...to enhance job creation and recognize the economic contributions of small businesses in Canada”.
The NDP members, though, despite what they say today, actually voted against helping small businesses create jobs. That should not come as a great surprise, for the NDP has a very different take on the economy compared to our Conservative government.
While we are committed to a low-tax plan to help the economy and to help both large and small employers grow, the NDP believes in a tired tax-and-spend philosophy for the Canadian economy. The NDP believes in a far-left economic philosophy that claims Canadian families and businesses are just not paying enough taxes and need to send more of their hard-earned money to big government in Ottawa.
In fact the Liberal finance critic, the member for Kings—Hants, publicly proclaimed to the The Chronicle-Herald newspaper this past year that Canadians should be wary of the Marxist-Leninist views of the federal NDP when it comes to the economy.
While I will not repeat that sentiment completely, I will again point to some facts on the NDP's record on taxes for Canadians to consider.
First and foremost, unlike the NDP, our Conservative government believes that leaving more money in the pockets of hard-working Canadians is the right thing to do, and we have the record to prove it.
Since coming to office in 2006, we have cut over 120 taxes, reducing taxes in every way government that collects them: personal, consumption, business, excise taxes and more. We removed over one million low-income Canadians completely from the tax rolls.
We reduced the overall tax burden to its lowest level in nearly 50 years. We introduced the tax free savings account, the most important personal savings vehicle since RRSPs. We lowered the GST from 7% to 5%. The overall total savings for a typical family is over $3,000.
The NDP, on the other hand, has a proven record of pushing a high tax agenda by voting no again and again in the House of Commons against our tax relief. It has constantly protested and mocked our efforts to leave more money in the pockets of everyday Canadian families to help them pay the bills and to help businesses grow our economy.
Indeed, public statements by NDP MPs clearly underline their fundamental belief that Canadian families should be forced to send more and more of their hard-earned money to government. For example, here is what the NDP finance critic, the member for Parkdale—High Park, had to say about our government's GST reduction. She stated, “Cuts to the GST...take us in the wrong direction. I am very proud that our caucus stood opposed to that--”.
Honestly, how many Canadians dealing with the costs of raising their families would appreciate politicians claiming that they are not just proud but very proud that they tried to prevent them from keeping more of their own hard-earned money? Is that the type of high tax thinking we want our politicians to have when it comes to the economy and protecting jobs? Clearly, the answer is a huge no.
As I mentioned earlier, Canada has weathered the global economic recession better than most other countries, but a big part of that has been our low tax plan, a low tax plan that has helped put an average of $3,000 back in the pockets of an average Canadian family. Another aspect of that low tax plan involves leaving more money in the hands of entrepreneurs and businesses to grow and hire more Canadians. Lower taxes make our economy stronger and create good, long-term jobs for today and tomorrow.
The Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters released a report, available online for all to see, confirming lower business taxes mean more jobs. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business unequivocally supports our low tax plan, which its says helps small business. Once again, I am using its words, “unequivocally supports”.
Even our American neighbours have noticed it. Listen to what Iowa Governor Terry Branstad told NBC's Meet the Press only last month. He stated:
The Canadian government has reduced their corporate income tax...I've had companies that I've called on in Chicago to come to Iowa, and they've said, “We like Iowa, but if they don't change the federal corporate income tax, we're probably going to go to Canada”. Now, that's a tragedy when...Canada is now beating us.
Without a doubt, our Conservative government is focused on keeping taxes low and helping create jobs. The NDP wants to raise taxes, which essentially kills jobs. Specifically, as businesses try to deal with global economic turbulence, the NDP wants to slap a huge $10 billion a year tax hike on them as explicitly stated in its platform.
Let us be clear. A $10 billion a year NDP tax hike would mean losing good Canadian jobs and jeopardizing the financial security of hard-working Canadian families. I do not know what world the NDP is living in, but Canadians cannot afford that. They cannot afford higher taxes and they cannot afford the job killing policies of the NDP. The member for Parkdale—High Park may be very proud of the NDP supporting tax hikes, but Canadians are actually very scared.
When it comes to taxes and the economy, our Conservative government's record is clear: lower taxes for a stronger economy. That is what we need. The NDP record is even clearer, higher taxes and more reckless spending, something we do not need.
Moreover, unlike the NDP and this hastily thrown together motion on the economy today, our Conservative government has a well-developed plan for jobs and growth that we have been implementing. Canada's economic action plan and its next phase is that plan. Despite the fact that the NDP voted against it every step of the way, this plan is working and it is getting results. Yes, like other countries, we face global economic headwinds from Europe and the United States, but we are ready and able to address them as we have done so previously.
I would, therefore, encourage all members to stick with the next phase of Canada's economic action plan. Do not listen to the misinformation that is being perpetrated. Look at the facts. As I have challenged the NDP here today, put the facts on the table.
I encourage Canadians to listen to the economists, to global leaders, and to Canadians, when they say, this is the plan to follow, this will keep our country safe, this will protect jobs, and this will create jobs. I encourage them to remain on track with this Conservative government in the interests of this wonderful country of Canada.