Taxation  Mr. Speaker, over the past year and a half, we raised taxes on the wealthiest 1% so we could lower them on the middle class. We delivered a Canada child benefit that gives more money to nine out of 10 Canadians by stopping the sending of child benefit cheques to millionaire families, which the previous government did.

Finance  Speaker, our first act in government was to lower taxes for the middle class and to raise them for the wealthiest 1%. The hon. member and his party voted against that measure that was designed to reduce taxes for the middle class. The fact is that, on Wednesday, everyone will see a budget focused on the growth of the middle class and on the assistance that Canadians so sorely need after 10 years of Conservative government.

Budget  Speaker, on Wednesday, we will present a budget that will create growth for the middle class, which has been our focus from the beginning. Last year, we lowered taxes for the middle class and we increased them for the wealthiest 1%. My colleague's party voted against that tax cut for the middle class.

Budget  We rose to the occasion by implementing the Canada child benefit, which gives more money to nine out of ten families, while eliminating benefits for the wealthiest families. The Conservative Party voted against the Canada child benefit.

Government Accountability  We are putting forward legislation that lowered taxes on the middle class and raised them on the wealthiest 1% and put forward a Canada child benefit that gives more money to nine out of 10 Canadian families. We have an awful lot we need to get done for Canadians to grow the middle class after 10 years of neglect by the previous government, that wanted to give tax benefits to the richest Canadians.

Taxation  Speaker, the very first thing we did was lower taxes on the middle class and raise them on the wealthiest 1%. We got elected on a clear commitment to help the middle class, and that is exactly what we are doing. We are ensuring that nine out of 10 Canadian families do better with the new Canada child benefit, which is going to lift 300,000 kids out of poverty.

Taxation  The reality is that we are lowering taxes for the middle class and increasing taxes for the wealthiest 1%. We have helped 9 in 10 families with the Canada child benefit. We have increased the guaranteed income supplement by 10% for the most vulnerable seniors. That is just a small example of what we are doing to help vulnerable Canadians.

The Economy  Speaker, this government has remained focused on the middle class, and those working hard to join it. We lowered taxes on the middle class by raising them on the wealthiest 1%. We brought in a Canada child benefit that gives more money to 9 out of 10 Canadian families, which will help them with the costs of groceries, school supplies, and raising their kids, and by not helping millionaire families with child benefits like the previous government did.

Taxation  Speaker, if members opposite really cared so much about the middle class, they would not have voted against lowering taxes on the middle class and raising them on the wealthiest one per cent, which is a commitment we made that is part of the core of our focus, which is helping the middle class and those working hard to join it. That is entirely going to be the focus of the budget we are going to be bringing forward in the coming weeks.

Taxation  Speaker, on the contrary, the first thing we did was lower taxes on the middle class and raise them on the wealthiest 1%. The Conservatives voted against that, by the way. The fact is that we also brought in the Canada child benefit to give more money to families that need it and reduce or eliminate benefits for millionaire families.

Ethics  Speaker, wherever I go across the country I hear from Canadians who are pleased that we are raising taxes on the wealthiest 1% so we can lower them on the middle class. They are pleased to hear that we have stopped sending child benefit cheques to the wealthiest families so we can do more for the families who need it.

Ethics  Mr. Speaker, Canadians well know that we raised taxes on the wealthiest 1% so we could lower them for the middle class, which, quite frankly, the Conservative Party voted against to protect its friends. The fact is that raising taxes on the wealthiest 1% so we could lower them for the middle class, ending child benefit cheques to wealthy families so we can give more to the families who need it, are things this government is focused on doing.

Democratic Reform  Speaker, the hon. member for Outremont knows full well that we are working hard to protect the most vulnerable across the country. That is why we lowered taxes for the middle class and increased them for the wealthiest 1%. We implemented the Canada child benefit, which will lift hundreds of thousands of young people out of poverty. Unfortunately, the opposition members voted against this measure to increase taxes for the wealthiest Canadians.

The Economy  Speaker, we got elected on a commitment to invest in the middle class, to support the middle class and those working hard to join it. The very first thing we did was lower taxes on the middle class and raise them on the wealthiest 1%. We are committed to protecting the middle class from increased taxes and that is why we will not be raising the taxes the member opposite proposes we will do.

The Economy  Speaker, as all members of the House know very well, we made a commitment to support the middle class and those working hard to join it. We have lowered taxes on the middle class and raised them on the wealthiest 1%. It was never our intention to raise taxes, as the member opposite suggested.