Finance committee  The Conference Board released a study this summer, indicating that Canada came fourth among the 215 countries that were assessed based on the increase in income inequality. We believe this is a major setback since, not too long ago, we were able to boast about being one of the most egalitarian countries in the world. We are very concerned about the record levels of debt among members of the public observed in recent years.

Business of Supply  Madam Speaker, I appreciate the points that the NDP member has made regarding poverty, income inequality, some of the government's failures on the economy, and youth unemployment. I have a different angle. There is no such thing as a general case. There are areas where unemployment is the biggest problem.

House debate  The 2010 child poverty report card also reminds us that Canada signed the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989 and that the House of Commons unanimously passed a resolution to seek to achieve the goal of eliminating poverty among Canadian children by the year 2000, yet the report goes on to say that one of every seven children in B.C. still lives in poverty despite years of unprecedented economic prosperity. In B.C. up to 2008, we have allowed income inequality to increase. In my riding of Nanaimo—Cowichan, we have higher than average welfare rates in general, and although some progress has been made, the report says that the Nanaimo-Ladysmith School District still ranks among the highest in the province in terms of poverty-stricken students.

Resumption and Continuation of Postal Services Legislation  For young workers who are just starting out in the working world, many of whom have a college or university education, the message is, “You don't deserve the same salary as your co-workers”. Whatever happened to the principle of decent pay for decent work? The income inequality sought by Canada Post is a slap in the face. What about sick leave? Canada Post wants to eliminate sick leave for all employees and impose an unfair short-term disability plan.

Business of Supply  Speaker, the Liberals have recommended a comprehensive anti-poverty strategy and, of course, campaigned on increasing the GIS, as well. I wonder if the member could comment on the recent research showing that reducing income inequality in a society, in a country, actually benefits all members of that society from reduced crime levels, improved health and in terms of a number of other quality of life metrics.

Canada-Panama Free Trade Act  The recent and ongoing economic crisis for which we are calling on the government to continue providing stimulus measures, namely by pushing back the deadline for the infrastructure programs which is currently March 31, 2011, was originally a financial crisis, of course. Nonetheless, income inequality in the United States caused a major portion of the American public to go into debt, to buy property in particular. The entire chain reaction that brought in the unsound financial products that provoked this crisis was caused in part by income inequality.

Human Resources committee  As a backdrop to this debate, we know that Canada is one of those nations in which the rate of income inequality between the rich and the poor is growing. Recent OECD reports show that the gap between rich and poor in Canada is growing faster than in most of the 30 other developed countries that were looked at.

Economic Negotiations with the European Union  I think we have the Liberals out-conservating the Conservatives on that issue. It is certainly not, in my opinion, in the public interest. We now have income inequality that is as bad as it was in the 1920s. This is an economic catastrophe. Most Canadians are feeling it. I certainly hope the Liberal Party is not saying that outsourcing is just a great thing.

International Trade committee  In May 2000, when corporate taxation rates of countries began dropping, the Harvard Law Review showed that: Thus, globalization and tax competition lead to a fiscal crisis for countries [like Canada] that wish to continue to provide social insurance to their citizens at the same time that demographic factors and the increased income inequality, job insecurity, and income volatility that result from globalization render such social insurance more necessary. I hope that my presentation has helped you to understand that Canada is currently trapped in a tax competition.

Finance committee  That would be the first thing. Our second recommendation would be to reverse the growing trend in income inequality in this country. Both would accomplish something in improving children's health and well-being. They are social determinants of health that we need to pay attention to if we want to improve outcomes for children in this country.

Finance committee  The median measures the mid-point and the mean averages everything added together and then divided. What we've had in Canada over the past quarter century is increasing income inequality, particularly at the top end. That brings the mean average up, but the median--that's what the normal average Canadian family might have--has remained pretty much stagnant over the past quarter century.

Human Resources committee  About seven months ago, when the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development released its survey of 30 developed countries in the world and revealed that Canada has the second-worst record in terms of deep and persistent poverty and income inequality among the OECD countries, it actually pointed to the federal fiscal policy over the last decade as being a primary cause of poverty and income inequality. It said ongoing tax cuts, which primarily benefit higher-income people and profitable corporations, and social spending cuts, which primarily affect lower-income people, are responsible for Canada's very poor record relative to other countries in the OECD.

Jobs and Economic Growth Act  She knows, she is well aware, that what we have seen, dramatically, under the former Liberal government and the current Conservative government, is a push back on the kind of equality that Canadians want to see. Income inequality in Canada is now at the same level, shamelessly, shockingly, as it was in the 1920s. Prior to the CCF and the NDP coming into being, pushing the big business parties, the Conservatives and the Liberals, into some measure of equality, we have now seen the Conservatives and the Liberals push back and push the middle class and poor Canadians to the point where there is more inequality than there has been in any other time since the 1920s.

Provincial Choice Tax Framework Act  It continues the pattern under successive federal Conservative and Liberal governments of pursuing policies that boost the returns to a privileged corporate elite on the flimsy excuse that they will use those returns to benefit the rest of us. Three decades of growing income inequality in this country prove those promises false.

Disposition of an act to amend the Excise Tax Act  It continues the pattern, under successive federal Conservative and Liberal governments, of pursuing policies that boost returns to a privileged corporate elite on the flimsy excuse that they will use those returns to benefit the rest of us. Three decades of growing income inequality in the country proves those promises are false. However, what is the HST? I am getting a lot of calls from my constituents. They know it is going to cost them more, but they really and truly do not understand what it is all about.