Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply  It also means giving money back to Canadians and their families through a number of sensible benefits programs the government has launched. This makes everyone happy, including the tax man. The throne speech recognizes middle class Canadians and their families as the bedrock of our workforce. It reminded us that we must understand their priorities and address their concerns if we are to achieve our goal of a more prosperous Canada.

Drugs and Pharmaceuticals  Mr. Speaker, middle-class Canadians are paying way too much for prescription drugs. We just had another report commissioned by Industry Canada, something that the government was forced to release, which shows that the government is not helping doctors make affordable choices for their patients.

Resumption of debate on Address in Reply  CEOs are banking stupendous salaries and incredible bonuses, but paycheques for everyone else have not changed, and, for many families, they are getting smaller. The government's agenda has made it harder and harder for middle-class Canadians to make ends meet. Yes, there are more than a million people in Toronto who live below the poverty line. Many of these people go to work every day but they are working for poverty wages, often in multiple jobs, and they simply cannot make ends meet.

Resumption of debate on Address in Reply  I come from a rural riding not unlike those of many members in the House. It is a riding chiefly peopled by a lot of middle class Canadians who enjoy relative prosperity, but of course there is a range of incomes in the riding. Nevertheless, despite the fact that these people seem to have a pretty good situation in general, when I tour the riding and go to town hall meetings, as I did this fall, many people raise the issue of crime.

House debate  Our Government will also take measures to improve the governance and management of the Employment Insurance Account. The bedrock of our workforce is middle-class Canadians and their families. These families worry about the rising costs of higher education and the expense of caring for elderly parents. They worry about affordable housing and the number of homeless people on our streets.

Business of Supply  They want to stand up for their buddies on Bay Street, the big money influence, who they do not think should pay any tax. I have a lot of middle class Canadians in my riding of Peterborough who pay a lot of tax and they want tax fairness. The Liberal Party should support it. I am disappointed that the member does not.

Business of Supply  Speaker, I certainly appreciate the question and the opportunity to elaborate, although I cannot fully understand the motives behind the Liberal motion today or behind any of their other decisions on public policy matters that are in the interests of corporations and totally against working people, ordinary families and middle class Canadians. Time and time again the Liberals have come forward with motions in this place, with projects for the finance committee and with recommendations that fly in the face of any kind of progressive policies that will actually ensure benefits for all Canadians.

Railway continuation Act, 2007  The Conservatives and Liberals see eye to eye on all of this. Working families are completely forgotten. What about middle class Canadians? No, do not take them into consideration. It is time for a solid merger between the Liberals and Conservatives. They should get together and form one party because there is no difference between the Liberals and Conservatives.

Budget Implementation Act, 2007  They say they have read the budget, but somehow missed the fact that the budget is targeted largely to lower income Canadians, middle class Canadians, and hard-working Canadians who pay their taxes and look after their families. This is the focus of our budget. Parties who are not supporting the budget need to explain to their own constituents why a new working income tax benefit for the working poor is not worthy of their support and why a new $2,000 child tax credit should not be supported.

The Budget  For example, how can this government justify its budget when it allows individuals whose annual revenue is over $300,000 to pocket an additional $930, while there is absolutely nothing in the budget to improve the financial situation of most middle-class Canadians? How can this government pretend that its budget is in the interests of average Canadians when people living on barely $40,000 for themselves and their families can find nothing in it to help them meet their material needs?

Energy Costs Assistance Measures Act  I am sure members on all sides of the House would like to ensure the constituents in their ridings are given cheques by the government. However the fact is that middle class Canadians, who again are singled out as a group, pay the basic tax burden in Canada. Therefore if we start handing out regular tax money to middle class Canadians we are simply taking from one hand and giving with the other.

The Budget  Not only is there a growing gap between the rich and the poor, there is also an alarming erosion of economic security for middle class Canadians. I stood in the House yesterday, before the budget was tabled, and relayed what ordinary Hamiltonians told me that their priorities were for achieving some fairness. Now that we have the budget in hand, I would like to evaluate it in that context.

Economic Prosperity  Not only is there a growing gap between the rich and the poor, there is also an alarming erosion of economic security for middle class Canadians. Here is what my constituents want to see in the budget: property tax relief through federal investments in urban infrastructure; a manufacturing sector strategy and help for building trades to secure decent paying jobs; fairness at the gas pumps instead of billion dollar subsidies to the oil and gas industries; a $10 minimum wage so that no Hamiltonian working full time is still living below the poverty line; investments in green technology and post-secondary education to help climate change and our kids; assistance for cleaning up Randle Reef; timely access to public health care; pension protection and income security in retirement.

Business of Supply  Through the softwood lumber agreement, another mill went down in my community just within the last month. The loss of these good, family supporting jobs really hurts middle class Canadians. A report came out today from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, which shows the prosperity gap is increasing in Canada. Canadian families are working harder and yet the income gap is getting larger.

Business of Supply  I believe these are the kinds of initiatives that will have a major impact on the lives of the working and middle class Canadian families. They also have a more immediate impact than the kinds of measures the hon. member's party propose, measures that require more government intervention and as a result, higher taxes.