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Results: 1 - 15 of 65
View Bruce Hyer Profile
GP (ON)
View Bruce Hyer Profile
2015-06-11 17:44 [p.14992]
Mr. Speaker, decades of poor public policy in the post-secondary sector has created a generation of debt slaves and perpetuated inequality in our society. The Conservative approach to funding higher education has created a lost generation of students with high tuition fees, saddled with lots of debt, unable to buy a house, unpaid internships and a bad job market. What a combination. Skyrocketing tuition fees and loan-based financial assistance have pushed student debt to historic levels. Education costs continue to grow faster than inflation. The economy is a lot weaker than it was in the early 2000s. The capacity of graduates to repay their loans has quickly diminished.
When our finance minister was in university, the average price of tuition was about $500, and adjusted for inflation that would be about $3,000 today. In stark contrast, the average Canadian student pays over $6,000 dollars per year now, and students in Ontario pay $7,500 a year. This skyrocketing cost of tuition has outpaced inflation by a wide margin, more than double.
By September 2010, the total amount of student loans owed to the government reached $15 billion, the legislated ceiling set by the Canada Student Financial Assistance Act. This figure does not even include provincial or personal loans, lines of credit, or education-related credit card debt. The government altered the definition of “student loan” to exclude over $1.5 billion in federal student loan debt, and still it surpassed that $15 billion limit. Therefore, in response, our government amended the Canada Student Financial Assistance Act again in order to increase that limit to $19 billion, while at the same time dramatically reduced parliamentary oversight of the program.
This past year almost a half a million students were forced to borrow funds in order to finance their education, resulting in student debt increasing by $1 million per day. The Treasury Board's proposal to write off nearly $300 million in unrecoverable student loans brings the total spent on writing off unpaid student debt to more than $1 billion in only four years. Clearly, financing higher education through tuition fees and debt is unsustainable and irresponsible.
In the past 15 years, tuition fees for students in Thunder Bay—Superior North and across Canada have grown to become the single largest expense for students. The dramatic tuition fee increases during this period were the direct result of cuts to public funding for post-secondary education, and to a somewhat lesser extent by provincial governments as well.
Public funding currently accounts for an average of approximately 57% of university and college operating funding, down from 80% just two decades ago. During that same period, tuition fees have grown from 14% of operating funding to over 35%, more than double. This constitutes a huge shift in Canada's post-secondary education system away from a publicly funded model toward a privatized user fee system favouring the rich. Rapidly increasing tuition fees have caused post-secondary education to become unaffordable for many low-income Canadians.
The Conservative government is writing off nearly $300 million in unrecoverable student debts this year, but, according to the IMF, it has also subsidized big oil to the tune of $34 billion this year. Ottawa must change its approach. The Conservatives must change.
When will the government learn that investing in young Canadians, the future of our country, is a better investment than the corporate welfare cheques the Conservatives are handing out to their friends to big oil, gas and coal?
View Andrew Saxton Profile
CPC (BC)
View Andrew Saxton Profile
2015-06-11 17:48 [p.14993]
Mr. Speaker, I want to say to the hon. member that we understand, as a government, the importance of investing in our young people. That is why we are doing precisely that.
I invite the hon. member to take a look at the numbers. I think he will find that the evidence is clear and overwhelmingly supports the actions our government is taking.
Although I hope the hon. member is aware of the difference between federal and provincial jurisdiction, if he had done his research, he would understand that tuition rates are in fact a provincial issue. If he would like to discuss high tuition rates and bigger taxes, I suggest he speak to his premier, Kathleen Wynne.
I am happy to say that Canada's economic action plan is working for students.
Consider the following. Economic action plan 2015 proposes to provide $184 million over four years, starting in 2016, to expand eligibility for Canada student grants to students in short duration programs. The Prime Minister made that announcement in my riding of North Vancouver. Expanded eligibility for the low- and middle-income Canada student grant is expected to help approximately 42,000 additional students per year.
Economic action plan 2015 proposes to provide $119 million over four years, starting in 2016, to reduce the expected parental contribution under the Canada student loans program needs assessment process, making it easier for students to get those loans. The reduction of the parental contribution in the Canada student loans needs assessment is expected to provide increased support to approximately 92,000 students.
Economic action plan 2015 proposes to provide $116 million over four years, starting in 2016, to eliminate in-study student income from the Canada student loans program needs assessment process. We were asked by students to do this, and we are now doing it. The elimination of the in-study income from the needs assessment is expected to increase loan amounts for an estimated 87,000 students.
In case the member opposite was not listening, let me repeat those three important points. First, expanded eligibility for the low- and middle-income Canada student grants is expected to help approximately 42,000 additional students per year. Second, the reduction of the parental contribution in the Canada student loans needs assessment is expected to provide increased support for approximately 92,000 students. Third, the elimination of in-study income from the needs assessment is expected to increase loan amounts for an estimated 87,000 students.
No government has done more than ours to help students. At the same time, we have shown that we can do this in a fiscally responsible manner. We have balanced the federal budget, and we want to help students balance theirs. That means staying true to our commitment to keeping taxes low and supporting families, as we have done year after year since taking office.
Now that our fiscal house is in order, our new challenge is to ensure that the gains we are seeing are truly long-term and sustainable. We need to stay the course to protect the economic interests of Canadians and the security of Canada. Through a series of specifically targeted measures, we are laying the underpinnings of a strong and robust economy.
In case the member was wondering, we are not just helping students short term, either. We will help students stay on top of labour market information to find jobs that are aligned with their particular skills and abilities. We will spend $14 million a year on a new survey that will provide accurate information on demand and wages by occupation and region.
The worst thing we could do for students is follow the NDP/Liberal plan to increase taxes. Our low-tax plan is working and creates jobs for students through trades, training, and tax cuts.
Here is our record. We ended the Liberal practice of taxing scholarships and replaced it with a tax credit for textbooks. Student loan debt has declined by 10% in real terms. We created apprenticeship grants and loans, and over 500,000 have been given out.
Those are just some of the things we have done for students. There are many more I could list, but I see that my time is up.
View Bruce Hyer Profile
GP (ON)
View Bruce Hyer Profile
2015-06-11 17:52 [p.14994]
Mr. Speaker, Roman Jakubowski, the student president at Lakehead University, the hon. member for Thunder Bay—Superior North, the hon. member for Saanich—Gulf Islands, and the Green Party actually believe that the feds do have a role in reducing student debt in Canada.
Statistics Canada reports that students from low-income families were less than half as likely to go to university than those from high-income families. Students with little or no debt were more than twice as likely to finish their degrees than students with high levels of debt. The completion rate for students with under $1,000 of debt was 71%, while the completion rate for those with over $10,000 in debt was 34%.
A post-secondary education has never been more necessary in Canada, and it has never been less accessible. Canadian youth are now the most indebted generation in the country's history. This debt will have far-reaching implications for Canada's economy and socio-economic equality.
When will these Conservatives start funding higher education for students across Canada and in Thunder Bay—Superior North and make Canada fairer and more effective with a more dynamic society and economy?
View Andrew Saxton Profile
CPC (BC)
View Andrew Saxton Profile
2015-06-11 17:54 [p.14994]
Mr. Speaker, we are, in fact, funding higher education for students, to the tune of $10 billion every year with our transfers to the provinces and territories. Again, I invite the hon. member to review the facts and start getting onside to help students, as we have been doing.
The expanded eligibility for low- and middle-income Canada student grants is expected to help over 42,000 students. The reduction of the parental contribution in Canada student loans is expected to help 92,000 students. The elimination of the in-study income from the needs assessment is expected to increase loans amounts for an estimated 87,000 students. The worst thing we could do for students, again, as I mentioned, is to follow the Liberal and NDP plan to increase taxes on Canadians, which would kill jobs and hurt students' ability to find jobs once they graduate.
Here is our record. We ended the Liberal practice of taxing scholarships and replaced it with a tax credit for textbooks, and the student loan debt has declined by 10% in real terms. We created apprenticeship grants and loans and over 500,000 have been given out; trade, training and tax cuts; and more jobs for students.
Let me reassure the hon. member that helping students remains the top priority of our government, but it is clear that our record is on one issue. When will the member opposite get on board and help support our initiatives?
View Bruce Hyer Profile
GP (ON)
View Bruce Hyer Profile
2015-05-15 12:00 [p.14008]
Mr. Speaker, well-off Conservatives think that student debt is a student's problem, but Roman Jakubowski, president of the Lakehead University Student Union, would disagree.
Fifteen billion dollars in student debt is a tax on the future of our young people and a drain on our economy.
Meanwhile, Conservatives hand out $34 billion in fossil fuel subsidies each and every year. How will our Minister of Finance reduce high tuition costs?
View Andrew Saxton Profile
CPC (BC)
View Andrew Saxton Profile
2015-05-15 12:01 [p.14008]
Mr. Speaker, our government's economic action plan 2015 is helping young Canadians and helping students.
The youth employment strategy is helping thousands of students across this country. We have the futurpreneur program, and we have much more to help students get jobs and get trained in Canada.
View Carolyn Bennett Profile
Lib. (ON)
View Carolyn Bennett Profile
2015-05-13 22:19 [p.13897]
Mr. Chair, with due respect, I believe that the first nations' educators know exactly what it takes to get success. They want their students to do better, as is evidenced by the Martin Aboriginal Education Initiative at Walpole Island.
Can the minister tell us what the current total backlog for first nations and Inuit individuals waiting for support through the post-secondary student support program is? What is the wait list backlog?
View Bernard Valcourt Profile
CPC (NB)
Mr. Chair, post-secondary education, as the hon. member ought to know, is administered by first nations band councils throughout Canada. AADNC, our department, transfers these funds to the first nations and they are the ones who make those decisions. Therefore, this is information that they have and we do not.
View Carolyn Bennett Profile
Lib. (ON)
View Carolyn Bennett Profile
2015-05-13 22:20 [p.13897]
Mr. Chair, I understand that in 1997 the post-secondary student support program supported 22,938 individuals. In 2009, it supported 18,729 individuals. How many students were supported in 2014?
View Bernard Valcourt Profile
CPC (NB)
Mr. Chair, the post-secondary students that we want to encourage to pursue post-secondary studies were very happy to learn that in the last budget we again renewed our contribution to Indspire to ensure that post-secondary education students benefit from bursaries. Indspire levers from other stakeholders because of the federal contribution, so this will help greatly.
Specifically as to the number of students, in the vicinity of 20,000 to 22,000 people benefited from the post-secondary education program. However, the conditions for access to this post-secondary education fund is decided by first nations and we have no control over their decision as to what amounts, for how long, and what indeed they do subsidize with those funds.
View John Barlow Profile
CPC (AB)
View John Barlow Profile
2015-05-13 23:00 [p.13903]
Mr. Chair, our government is focused on creating jobs, growth and long-term prosperity for all Canadian families. That is why we are proud to work with willing partners on initiatives leading to greater self-sufficiency and prosperity for first nations and communities.
Education is perhaps the most important element in achieving this goal. A good education provides the keys to open the doors to opportunity and success for individuals and communities alike.
Our government continues to ensure that first nations children living on reserve receive the same access to quality education as every other Canadian child and that they are given every opportunity to become full participants in Canadian society. That is why between 2006 and 2013 we increased education funding to first nations by more than 25%.
We have also made additional investments in education infrastructure, the schools and facilities students need to be successful. Since being elected, our government has invested more than $850 million in on-reserve education infrastructure projects. These funds have enabled first nations to complete more than 572 infrastructure projects, including 41 new schools and 531 other school projects, including major renovations to existing facilities.
Through budget 2012, we invested an additional $175 million for the construction of new schools. Moreover, just this past year the Prime Minister announced an investment of $500 million over seven years in the new education infrastructure fund. Economic action plan 2015 reasserts this commitment and would add an additional $200 million to this fund.
Investments from the education infrastructure fund will also be used to develop a training and education program for first nations to support operations and maintenance activities in schools.
Investments from these funds have already begun. In fact, just last week we announced that our government will be investing some of this money in the construction or major renovation of 11 schools in first nations communities across Canada. These projects represent the first phase of investments from the education infrastructure fund. That is in addition to announcements made this spring addressing school infrastructure needs in four northern Manitoba communities.
As a member of the Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development, the issue of aboriginal education is of particular importance to me. In fact, a few months ago, I was absolutely honoured to join my friend and colleague, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development, as we made a significant announcement about the construction of the new Crowfoot School on the Siksika First Nation in my riding of Macleod.
Our government has also provided funding for education infrastructure in the Whitecap Dakota First Nation in Saskatchewan. Funding provided to the first nation will serve to renovate the Whitecap Elementary School and will include the addition of two new classrooms for students from kindergarten to grade four.
Our government will also be providing support for the construction of the off-reserve Stonebridge school, also in Saskatchewan, for students in grades five to eight.
With these 11 school projects—five new schools and six renovations—we are making a difference in the lives of more than 1,000 first nations students across this country from kindergarten up to grade 12. These projects will help first nations students have a first-class learning environment. This will allow them to learn the skills and lessons they need to enter the labour market. These are investments in the futures of first nations children and in the futures of their communities.
Economic action plan 2015 would build on the government's investment in the construction and renovation of schools on reserve by providing $200 million over five years, starting in 2015-16.
Construction sites create more than just new schools. They also create jobs. They also create an opportunity for young people to learn marketable skills that will help them succeed in the careers of their choosing. During the construction of these schools, wherever possible, contractors and subcontractors will seek to create jobs and training opportunities for local community members.
Mr. Chair, we are not just making investments in education infrastructure. Our government believes first nations students deserve access to the same quality education as all other Canadian students. To that end, we have contributed nearly $12 billion toward aboriginal education programs since we were elected. Certainly, this funding pays for the construction and renovation of schools, but it also covers the wages of teachers and coaches, and pays for books, computers and sports equipment. Perhaps more importantly the landmark first nations control of first nations education act represented a real and concerted effort to improve education outcomes for first nations youth on reserve. While we are disappointed the Assembly of First Nations was not prepared to accept our offer, our government remains committed to improving educational outcomes on reserve.
We remain a committed partner in first nations education reform and look forward to opportunities to work with first nations that are interested and able to pursue education reform, including through co-operative self-government agreements.
A quality post-secondary education is often the key to getting a good quality job. Our government is working to ensure first nations and Inuit students have access to an education that encourages them to stay in school, graduate and get the skills they need to succeed in the labour market. That is why our government proposes to provide $12 million over three years to Indspire. This would provide post-secondary scholarships and bursaries to first nations students. At least $1 million of this amount will be devoted to supporting students pursuing an education in the skilled trades. This is absolutely critical because skilled trades are desperately needed in Alberta and across Canada.
Since its launch, lndspire has provided scholarships to more than 2,200 first nations and Inuit students on an annual basis. It has also attracted significant support from a wide range of corporate donors, with new investments that will extend the availability of scholarships to thousands more first nations and Inuit youth. Our government, first nations communities and young adults all agree that first nations youth must have the same opportunities as all Canadians to find, keep and enjoy the benefits of a good-paying job. This is why, by making key investments in 2013, our government helped to provide personalized jobs and skills training to more than 4,000 first nations youth between the ages of 18 and 24 who were on income assistance. Participants in that program have access to a wide range of services and programs aimed at increasing their job prospects and supporting them as they move on to the workforce. These services and programs include basic life skills, literacy training, skills training and career counselling
Our government wants to ensure first nations, Inuit and Métis students graduate from high school with the skills and abilities they can put to work in their communities and the Canadian economy. This is absolutely vital to the long-term well-being of communities and Canada's continued prosperity. Our government understands that truth very clearly. Unlike the opposition parties who voted against both structural reform and additional investment, our government is actively working towards this goal.
I would like to ask my esteemed colleague, the parliamentary secretary, a few questions, if I may.
As I spoke earlier in my speech, I know that our government believes that first nations youth deserve access to the same quality education as all other Canadian students. I also know that we are providing the funding to back us up on this belief. As I mentioned earlier in my speech, the parliamentary secretary was in my riding earlier this year to announce funding for a new school to replace the Crowfoot school in the Siksika First Nation. This is absolutely critical funding to replace an education facility in a rebuilding community that was devastated by the floods in 2013.
Could the parliamentary secretary inform this committee of the whole exactly how much money our government has invested in education programming for aboriginal people?
View Linda Duncan Profile
NDP (AB)
View Linda Duncan Profile
2015-04-29 16:38 [p.13205]
Mr. Speaker, my colleague for LaSalle—Émard is a phenomenal representative in the House. It is an honour to work with her.
It is my pleasure to speak to Motion No. 18, the 2015-16 budget.
With rising income disparity, the Canadian government is faced with clear choices: to implement fiscal measures to address that disparity, or not; and to choose to genuinely support economic diversification, or not. Disappointingly, based on the budget bill, it is clear the Conservative government has chosen the later path in both instances.
There is some good news for middle-class Canadians in this budget. As recommended by the NDP, there will be a gradual small business tax cut from 11% to 9%. Also recommended by the NDP is the extension of the EI benefit to care for sick or dying relatives, from six weeks to six months.
It is commendable that the government does sometimes listen to the opposition. Still, unfortunately, there is no willingness to restore the right to claim OAS or GIS benefits at age 65, as CARP, the NDP and many others have sought, and no action on the requested increase in CPP benefits.
While some appreciate the non-refundable tax credit for renovations for seniors and handicapped, according to the Canadian Alliance of United Seniors, only those with the means to pay upfront for renovations will benefit the most, meaning more would have benefited from a refundable tax credit. Those seniors fortunate to have invested in RRSPs and then converted to RRIFs will benefit from the lessened duty to withdraw amounts per year. Unfortunately, many have no RRSPs or RRIFs.
Bad news for struggling families is that the budget provides grossly inequitable tax benefits, including raising the annual limit for tax-free savings account deposits to $10,000 a year, which clearly will assist only those with that scale of surplus income. While many managed to contribute $5,000, doubling that is doubtful for the many facing record household debt. The Parliamentary Budget Officer projects the cost at $1.3 billion this year alone and by 2060, a loss of almost $15 billion a year to the Canadian revenue. Thus there will be a loss to programs meeting the needs of most families.
According to Rob Carrick of The Globe and Mail, the national conversation on personal finance has been hijacked by the tax-free savings account offer. Rising household debt, in his view, is the bigger issue. He has reported that while government is lauding its balanced budget, a record number of households are sinking in family debt. The growth in debt is exceeding salary and wages by a 163% ratio. The opportunity to contribute even more to a tax-free savings account is a luxury prospect for far too few.
Among the clearest evidence that the Conservative government chose to reward the wealthy is the spousal income splitting measure, a multi-billion dollar windfall for the 10% wealthiest Canadians. This year alone, $2.4 billion will be diverted from federal revenues for this privileged group. In each of the next five years, $2 billion more will be lost from revenue, with a grand total of a $12 billion loss from programs that benefit all Canadians.
What potential programs are lost or promises broken? There will be no new money for home care; no new national pharmacare program; no national senior strategy on health care supported by the Canadian Medical Association; no national housing strategy; and despite a decade of promises, zero dollars to create critically needed, affordable child care spaces.
Despite the great hullabaloo, actual delivery of the monies for many programs is being delayed for up to two to four years, well past the next election, which is perhaps not a minor factor in enabling a balanced budget this year. The government is simply delaying major expenditures into future parliaments, despite the critical need and in face of the fact that the cost for delivery will inevitably rise, particularly for infrastructure.
Ninety-five per cent of Canadians think investment in public transit is important. Commitments to long-term transit funding was called for and then welcomed by the FCM and the mayors. However, an increasing number of municipal leaders are now expressing concern that no clear monetary commitment has been made to entrench a permanent transit fund or a proportion of federal dollars transfer. Far more is needed to address the critical and growing need for public transit. The government is forcing cities to pursue private financing agreements through P3s, whether they like it or not.
Concerns with infrastructure funding are even greater, as funds over the next three years will be cut by 87%. Only 25% of the money is to be allocated to cities before 2019. No new money is budgeted to assist municipalities in complying with the new federal regulations on wastewater and therefore, there will be implications for the environment.
The $150 million announced for mortgage relief for social and co-operative housing will enable repairs. That is welcomed, yet over the next 25 years, $1.7 billion in housing funding will expire, putting social housing in jeopardy. No new money is committed for new affordable housing and there is no commitment to a long-term stable funding program for housing.
Economic diversity is the major topic in my province these days. The government has a clear choice to make in the path it chooses to diversify our economy. For manufacturing, the budget offers some limited support, including extended accelerated capital cost write-offs for another 10 years. Astoundingly, the Conservatives are decreasing transfers for western economic diversification despite widespread calls in my province of Alberta to end the over-reliance on the oil-based economy. Many long-tenured oil workers seeking assistance for work are saying they want out of the boom-and-bust roller-coaster ride of the oil sector.
EI claims in Alberta are 72.9% higher than last year. There is a 30% increase in EI claims the past two months straight. Alberta is experiencing the highest unemployment rate since 2009, projecting almost 20,000 jobs lost alone in drilling activity.
Limited immediate support is offered to our universities, colleges and technical schools for science, research and education, despite the contribution they make not only to direct employment, including for students and in creating our workforce of the future, but also as contributors to the economy in advances in science, research and education.
As with many programs, the budgeted $46 million new funds for the granting council budgets will not actually flow until 2016 or 2017. There is a continuing trend to limit federal research and innovation dollars, including the NSERC grants to those who garner matching industry partners or for projects that create long-term economic advantages.
That undervalues the contributions of the universities and technical schools in my riding to pure scientific research, to breakthroughs in combatting disease, including diabetes, to addressing pollution, and to developments in physics, chemistry, and so forth. The $1.33 billion for the Canada Foundation for Innovation research is spread over six years, and is delayed again until 2017-18. As this fund simply keeps being reannounced under new names, it is not clear how much of the money is actually new money.
Only $3 million is assigned to the Council of Canadian Academies, which has done stellar work on our behalf. Preference is given to innovative enterprises garnering endorsements from favoured major corporations. For example, western economic diversification has favoured the defence industry over support to the burgeoning renewable sector.
So many apply each year for support to provide summer employment for students, including many university research jobs. So many are turned down. A small increase could provide valuable work experience for our youth.
Other concerns voiced to me about how the government is delivering a balanced budget include the decision to withdraw $2 billion from the contingency fund. People ask me what happens if there is another major flood or record forest fires in Alberta or other provinces or territories. There is a decade of cutting front-line services. More bad news, not clearly revealed to Canadians, includes the imminent cuts to health care transfers starting in 2016-17, moving from the 6% escalator to 3%.
In the brief time remaining, I want to mention there are no new benefits for veterans, no money for missing and murdered women, and no new money for aboriginal education or benefits.
Despite the continuing claims of responsible resource development balancing development and environmental protection, there is zero money to support the participation of Canadians in major resource project reviews. Climate change is not even mentioned in the budget. That is absolutely reprehensible. Even the oil and gas sector is asking the government to step up to the plate and address our climate issues and to address the fact that it has not dealt with first nations claims.
Why is there no support for any businesses, communities and first nations wanting to pursue a cleaner, more affordable, sustainable future? It is a matter of choice.
View Dean Allison Profile
CPC (ON)
View Dean Allison Profile
2015-04-28 10:39 [p.13096]
Mr. Speaker, I am certainly honoured to rise in the House today to speak to the budget, economic action plan 2015. Before I get started, I want to indicate that I will be splitting my time with the member for Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, who has graciously let me go first so I can get to a committee meeting that I must chair.
Each year, we gather in this House as a matter of tradition and obligation to recognize the importance of planning and of creating the conditions that ensure that this country will continue to be the greatest place in the world to live and to work. I can assure members that this country is the greatest place in the world to live and to work.
Time and again, we are confronted with the challenges of uncertainty, risk, and change. This year, our way of life and security was threatened, presenting us with a new, albeit equally important, challenge. I am proud to stand behind a government that has consistently responded to all of these challenges with the same quality leadership.
In this year's budget, we continue to exhibit the leadership Canadians deserve by staying true to the principles that put us in government in the first place: supporting hard-working Canadian families, supporting small business, and consistently daring to innovate and grow our economy in ways that make Canada a world leader. Today, I will spend the time I have, speaking about these three parts of the budget and how they combine to offer a strong vision for what this great nation can be in 2015 and in the years to come.
Supporting hard-working Canadian families is where my journey as a member of Parliament began and it is where I begin today. Central to my values is a belief in the importance of community and the importance of family. One of the unique aspects of this country rests in the Canadian family unit. Moms and dads working equally hard to pay for daycare, put their oldest through another year of university, pay for activities like hockey and dance, and eventually pay off the mortgage on their first home make up a snapshot of what it means to raise a family here in Canada. I know that raising a family is hard work, and I believe that any investment in Canada's future means investing in ways to help our Canadian families. Simply put, measures introduced by our government in this budget would make life more affordable for every single Canadian family with children across this country.
Increasing and expanding the universal child care benefit, or the UCCB, to provide every family in Canada with an additional $720 per child under the age of 18, and introducing the family tax credit, are two out of many ways in which we plan to help support raising a family here in Canada. All in all, this budget would ensure that the average Canadian family of four gains average benefits of more than $6,600 every year. One of the most important aspects of these benefits is that every single Canadian family would receive them.
Part of why I am so proud to stand here in the House today in support of the economic action plan 2015 comes from this budget's recognition that no two families have the exact same needs. It is through accepting this reality that we as a government have taken seriously our duty to introduce programs and policies in the 2015 budget that would help all families and would leave the most important decisions to the true experts, which happen to be moms and dads. Great examples of such programs lie in our continued support for benefits such as the children's arts tax credit and the children's fitness tax credit, which promote the importance of arts and fitness programming among children through credits of up to $500 and $1,000 respectively.
Additional programs such as the first-time home buyers' tax credit, the expanded home buyers' plan, and the public transit tax credit would help Canadian families with the process of buying or building their first home. No matter what stage a family is at or where it needs most help in shouldering its expenses, this government has made it clear that it will be there for Canadian parents and their kids.
Building on the base of the family, this government has committed a great number of resources in this year's action plan to provide communities across Canada with the infrastructure and support they need to continue providing the high quality of life that Canadians should expect.
The new building Canada fund is a key example of one of these investments to the community, earmarking $5.35 billion per year for provincial, territorial, and municipal infrastructure. Another is the creation of the new public transit fund that would ramp up to $1 billion a year to reduce urban congestion and gridlock in Canada's largest and dynamic cities. It is one example that comes to mind. Under the $33 billion building Canada fund launched in 2007, we supported more than 12,000 infrastructure projects from coast to coast to coast, and we would continue to support projects that make up our communities' great spaces in which to raise families.
To me, part of taking pride in the strength and the resilience of community is tied to taking pride in the businesses that are rooted in communities. Making up over 90% of Canadian businesses and employing two-thirds of all Canadians, small businesses are an essential part of what makes our Canadian communities so great and unique. Our communities grow, and this is something I have believed to be true for my riding since first being elected in 2004.
This government believes in small businesses, and therefore wants them to not only grow but prosper and triumph. That is why, since forming government, we have reduced the small business tax load by almost 50%, and in this budget we would continue to invest in small-business owners throughout this nation.
Part of this investment is through our slashing EI premiums for small businesses through our small business job credit. This credit would be effective for two years, beginning in 2015, and available to employers paying $15,000 or less per year in EI premiums, so that is approximately $570,000 in EI assessable payroll in Canada. The net result of applying this credit would be a 15% reduction in employment insurance premiums paid by small businesses over the next two years and roughly $0.5 billion in savings from small firms and payroll tax cuts.
The CFIB has commended measures like these that make it easier to hire new workers or invest in additional training to help Canadian entrepreneurs grow their businesses.
Feedback such this drives our government to work even harder to help small businesses where we can. In this year's budget we continue to commit to the following: reducing the small business tax rate from 11% to 9% by 2019, allowing small businesses to do what they do best, invest in their companies and create jobs; improving access to financing for Canadian small businesses under the Canada small business financing program, which since 2006 has provided more than 50,000 loans to help new businesses get started and expand; increasing access to venture capital financing to help innovative, high-growth companies grow and create jobs.
Accompanying these measures, this year's budget would enshrine into policy what has been made clear through the Red Tape Reduction Commission in its finding that needless red tape kills jobs and growth for small business. Cutting the red tape burden by eliminating more than 800,000 payroll deduction remittances to the Canada Revenue Agency, made every year by more than 50,000 small businesses, marks a step towards jobs and growth for small business owners. Pairing this policy with the freeze on EI premiums demonstrates a winning strategy for small businesses and their ability to gain the certainty and flexibility that they need, to continue being key parts of Canada's economic success story.
It is measures like these that allow for small businesses to gain support, stay competitive, thrive, and prosper. An important part of leading Canadian small businesses towards paths of success is ensuring that their paths towards success are not stifled by red tape and raising the capital necessary to grow.
It also means, most importantly, investing in the futures of Canadian entrepreneurs. We take seriously the need to invest in tomorrow's best and brightest small business owners by allocating substantial resources to the future of entrepreneurs in Canada.
Economic action plan 2015 would support entrepreneurship by investing substantial resources into internships in small business and supporting leaders in the promotion of entrepreneurship, such as the Canada Youth Business Foundation.
By investing $15 million for up to 1,000 post-secondary graduates to intern in small and medium-sized businesses across Canada, and further providing $49 million to the CYBF, this budget would create the supports needed to make sure that Canadian entrepreneurs are part of the unique success story emerging from this great nation post-recession.
Strongly tied to entrepreneurship and what is perhaps the most important part of this budget is the vision it articulates for research and innovation. This budget would make substantial investments in world-class research and innovation by providing more than $1.5 billion in funding over five years to advance the government's renewed science, technology, and innovation strategy.
Enshrined in this investment is the belief that the real key to Canada's future prosperity is investing in making Canada a hub for cutting-edge research and innovation. We are currently ranked number one in the G7 for our support for scientific research and development in our colleges, universities, and other research institutes. However, why stop here?
By supporting innovation in our post-secondary institutions and centres of higher learning, we commit towards continuing to foster the sharpest minds when it comes to driving Canadian-made ideas, research, and technologies.
This generation will receive the support it needs to thrive, starting with this budget's commitment to the following: expansive support advanced research infrastructure at universities and colleges through new funding to the Canada Foundation for Innovation; and landmark investment in post-secondary education through the creation of the Canada first research excellence fund, with $1.5 billion over the next decade.
These initiatives would combine to create results for all Canadians. By remaining committed to the principles upon which we were elected, we have created 1.2 million net new jobs since the depths of the downturn and have delivered the lowest overall federal tax burden in over 50 years.
Supporting hard-working Canadian families, supporting small business, and consistently daring to innovate and grow our economy in ways that make Canada a world leader represent the road map for this accomplishment, but leadership is what has made this possible.
What separates a simple plan or design from true leadership is the willingness or the wherewithal to innovate and excel above the status quo.
By putting forward a budget like the economic action plan, we are allowing every Canadian to do what they do best. We are continuing to uphold our commitment to make this great nation the best that it can be in 2015 and the years to come.
View Joe Oliver Profile
CPC (ON)
I am proud to present economic action plan 2015, our government's plan for growth and opportunity. It is a prudent and principled plan which will see Canadians more prosperous, more secure and ever more confident in our country's place in the world.
The story of Canada is, and has always been, the story of opportunity. Opportunity is what has drawn people here from around the world generation after generation. It is what draws them still, opportunity for themselves and for their families, the opportunity to work hard, dream big and achieve those dreams.
On a personal note, I will be forever grateful to my grandparents for their fateful decision to immigrate to Canada more than 100 years ago. Like so many others, they chose liberation over oppression, opportunity over stagnation, a bright future over a gathering storm.
The federal budget is, on the face of it, about dollars and cents, but on a more fundamental level, it is a path to opportunity, and it is in this spirit that I present it today. I do so acknowledging that we live in what continues to be challenging times.
Around the world, many nations—including some of our friends and allies—remain mired in a struggle for fiscal security. Global growth coming out of the great recession has been lacklustre. Geopolitical uncertainty continues to hobble the recovery. And, of course, the dramatic plunge in oil prices has taken its toll on our economy.
Still, news for Canada is, by and large, good. Amid the tumult, our country remains a beacon of economic stability and security, built on a foundation of sound financial management.
I cannot go further without saluting the man who, through fiscal acumen, careful stewardship and love of country, can take so much credit for this, my predecessor, Jim Flaherty. It is because of Mr. Flaherty's efforts and the leadership of our Prime Minister that we are in a position to move forward. It is because of their discipline and deliberate choices in dark times that, rather than privation and painful austerity, we face a future of opportunity and possibilities. That path is the right path for Canada.
I recall the words of another man who, half a century ago, served as Canada's minister of finance, the Hon. Donald Fleming. Like me, he was a proud member of the Conservative government and, like me, he had the honour of representing the good people of Eglington, the predecessor to my own riding of Eglinton—Lawrence, in the great city of Toronto. He told the House:
We have withstood the disturbing calm of recession, and the winds of prosperity again fill our sails...With a united, determined and confident population, Canada marches on unflinchingly towards its bright destiny.
Our economy is now substantially larger than it was pre-recession, a performance that remains the envy of the G7.
International observers expect Canada’s growth—already ahead of our peers during the recovery— to continue to be solid. They expect our net debt-to-GDP ratio will continue to be the lowest in the G7.
The causes of global financial challenges are complex and largely beyond our control, but our responses, the choices we have made have been direct and unambiguous. We have cut taxes to their lowest level in more than half a century. We have made the largest, longest federal infrastructure commitment in our country's history. We have negotiated free trade deals that encompass more than half of the global economy. We have increased transfers to the provinces and territories to record levels to support health care and education. We have done all of this while controlling spending.
For generations, Canadian families have understood the path to prosperity. Do not compromise tomorrow by spending recklessly today, do not pile on debt we cannot afford, and invest sensibly for a secure future. For governments, the principles are the same. We have been prudent, we have been practical, and we have stuck to our plan.
I am proud to announce that this budget is balanced. This year, we are forecasting a $1.4 billion surplus and growing surpluses thereafter.
I am proud to announce that this budget I am presenting today is balanced. This year, we are forecasting a $1.4 billion surplus, and growing surpluses thereafter.
Now, this did not just happen. It took hard work, unwavering focus and firm resolve. Some underestimate the discipline involved, suggesting that budgets balance themselves.
They do not understand what it takes, or why it matters so much.
Perhaps they never will.
A balanced budget is the only way to ensure long-term prosperity for Canadians. It clears a path for further tax relief, bolsters our top credit rating, supports lower interest payments, and inspires greater consumer and investor confidence. It protects health care and education. It strengthens our ability to respond to the unavoidable and the unexpected in a volatile world, and it means, importantly, that we can leave our children and our grandchildren an even more secure and prosperous country, not a hangover from reckless selfishness.
When our government first came to power, we worked hard to reduce Canada's substantial federal debt, and we did it, in short order, by more than $37 billion.
Then in 2008, the world was rocked by the greatest financial meltdown since the Great Depression. It was not a crisis of our making, but it was nevertheless one we could not escape, so we undertook extraordinary measures to protect the financial security of Canadians, but we did it with a clear and prudent plan to return to balance.
We cannot borrow our way to prosperity, no matter what our opponents might say. Their path, the path of spending money we do not have on bureaucratic programs we do not need leads to the crushing structural deficits that plagued this country for years. When our Liberal opponents tried it, they found themselves in an economic swamp of their own creation. By the time they figured out the disaster the country was facing, the only way out was brutal cuts to programs Canadians counted on.
George Santayana said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it”.
Still, given the chance, they seem determined to try it again. Ignoring the lessons of history, they would take the well-trod road to economic decline—a journey that will not end well.
Mr. Speaker, it will not end well.
When our Government launched its stimulus program, we made a solemn promise to the Canadian people.
A promise made, a promise kept.
This budget is written in black ink. This is the responsible way forward for Canada, which is why we have also introduced balanced budget legislation. This legislation will recognize that in times of crisis, a deficit may be the appropriate action, but only with a plan to return to balance and only with an accompanying freeze on operating spending.
I would now like to talk about tax restraint. Our approach has been clear and consistent: take as little as possible and give back as much as we can.
It all starts with the bedrock of our country: the family. Raising a family is hard work. Unlike our opponents, we prefer to leave it to the experts: Mom and Dad. It also costs a lot of money, which is why in recent months we expanded the universal child care benefit, introduced the family tax cut, increased the child care expense deduction limits, and doubled the children's fitness tax credit. These measures make life more affordable for all Canadian families with children.
For a typical two-earner family of four, it means up to an extra $6,600 in their pockets in 2015.
Helping families now is vital, but just as important is helping them plan for a secure future.
Our low-tax measures are extremely important. One that I am particularly proud of is the tax-free savings account. When we introduced the TFSA in budget 2008, it was the most significant boost to Canadians' ability to save for their future since the creation of the RRSP. Since then, close to 11 million Canadians, mostly low and middle-income Canadians, have opened a TFSA.
Who are these Canadians? They are the people we see at the coffee shop, at the rink and in our place of worship. Half make less than $42,000 a year. Some are saving money to buy their first home or start their first business. Some are saving to put their children through college or university. Others are putting away extra money to make their hard-earned retirement more comfortable and enjoyable. In fact, more than half the people currently maxing out their TFSA contributions are low and middle-income Canadians over the age of 55.
I am also very pleased to announce, therefore, that we will increase the TFSA annual contribution limit from the current $5,500 to $10,000. This is another promise made, another promise kept.
We are also making life easier for the almost four million Canadians living with some form of disability. Many Canadians with disabilities, as well as seniors, want to enjoy greater independence living in the comfort of their homes. To help, we will create a new and permanent home accessibility tax credit. It will support those who want to renovate their dwellings to make them safer, more accessible and more functional.
Our government has a strong record of support for people with autism spectrum disorders and the people who love them. Our budget builds on this, with funding to pursue a greater understanding of autism and the needs of those living with its unique challenges.
We will also implement changes to the Copyright Act to implement the Marrakesh Treaty, allowing the one million Canadians with visual impairments greater access to adapted books and other printed material.
We want older Canadians to enjoy the golden years that are their reward after decades of hard work and diligent saving. Our government has already greatly expanded the guaranteed income supplement for very low-income seniors. Today I am pleased to announce that we will give seniors more choice when it comes to managing their retirement income by reducing the minimum withdrawal requirements for registered retirement income funds.
For more and more Canadians, caring for family not only means making sure that kids have the best start possible in life; it means being there for parents and other elderly relatives through their final days. When someone we love is gravely ill, we should be free to focus on what matters most. That is why we are extending the employment insurance compassionate care benefits period from the current six weeks to six months.
Along with supporting Canadian families, our government's priority has always been the creation and protection of opportunity for Canadians. Indeed, since the depths of the global recession, Canada has had one of the best job creation records in the G7. How did we do this? We cut taxes and slashed red tape, and we will continue to do both.
It is no secret that small businesses are critical to the health of the Canadian economy. They employ half of all Canadians in the private sector and contribute over 40% of our private sector GDP. That is why we have worked so hard to support them over the years and continue to do so. We have lowered the small business tax rate to 11% and have increased the amount of annual income eligible for this lower rate.
Today I am pleased to announce that our government will reduce the tax rate further, all the way down to 9% in 2019. This will be the largest tax-rate cut for small businesses in more than 25 years.
Small businesses across the country will be able to use these additional tax savings to fuel growth, invest in capital and hire more people.
Manufacturing accounts for more than 10% of our GDP and over 60% of our merchandise exports and employs 1.7 million people all across the country. Some have questioned the role of manufacturing in Canada's future economic success. We do not. For this government, the words “Made in Canada” continue to fuel pride and inspire confidence, but we must give manufacturers the tools they need to create the products and the jobs of the future. That is why I am pleased to announce that we will help to boost this sector's productivity by introducing a 10-year investment incentive that will allow a faster writeoff for machinery and equipment.
We are also launching the automotive supplier innovation program. This investment of $100 million over the next five years will support our auto parts industry as it meets the constantly evolving demands of automakers and consumers.
We will continue our collaboration with the provinces and territories in skills training. We will also bring employers and educators together to make sure the skills of our graduates match the needs of our economy.
For Canada’s best and brightest graduate and post-graduate students, we will increase our support for internships that allow them to focus on industry-related research.
For students who need to work to put themselves through school, the current in-study income limit of the Canada student loans program is a barrier. We will remove it. We will also reduce the program's parental contribution requirement to make it easier for middle-class families to finance the education of their children.
We will make permanent our foreign credentials recognition loans program, which helps skilled newcomers cover the cost of having their qualifications recognized here.
We will extend the working while on claim employment insurance pilot project, which gives unemployed Canadians the ability to accept some work, work that could lead to learning new skills or even full-time employment while protecting their EI benefits.
Canada is now attracting the best and brightest minds from around the globe in science, research and development.
To build on this success, we will make a significant new investment of $1.3 billion over six years to the Canada Foundation for Innovation. We will do that to ensure our researchers continue to have the leading-edge lab facilities they need to be the best in the world.
Although their work is about changing lives, some of it is about saving them. A case in point, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research has been searching for a solution to drug-resistant infections. We will provide stable, multi-year funding for this important work. To help meet the challenges of an aging population, we will likewise provide stable, multi-year funding towards the establishment of a Canadian centre for aging and brain health innovation based at Baycrest Health Services in Toronto.
Since the era of the last spike, infrastructure has been vital to Canada’s success as a country—which is why it is a key priority for our government. Our new building Canada plan is the largest long-term federal investment in infrastructure in our country’s history.
Indeed, our investment in infrastructure is three times greater than the previous government's, but building this great country is a project that never ends. Anyone who lives in or near thriving, fast-growing cities knows the reality of traffic gridlock, so I am pleased to announce the launch of a major new infrastructure program, the public transit fund. This program, increasing to $1 billion per year by 2019, will be a permanent source of funding for provinces and municipalities for major public transit projects.
This fund will result in more money and more transit projects by requiring a significant role for the private sector and by allowing for a more flexible payment approach. It will also drive efficiency in the design and costing of transit projects.
Canada is home to some of the world’s largest and most experienced private-sector infrastructure investors. This fund will require their involvement and expertise to deliver projects in a manner that is affordable for taxpayers and efficient for commuters.
Canada’s prosperity has always been rooted in our wealth of natural resources. From the bounty of our seas to the abundance of the earth, these riches provide good, well-paying jobs for almost two million Canadians.
Measures we will take to support this sector include the forest innovation program and expanding market opportunities program to help Canadian forestry companies adopt emerging technologies and develop new markets for Canada’s wood product exports.
When people make working the land or the sea their life’s work, they have earned everything they have put into that enterprise. Therefore, we will also raise the lifetime capital gains exemption to $1 million. We will do that for those who make their living in farming or fishing.
We are proud of our record when it comes to the responsible development of our natural resources, and we will continue to pursue the vast opportunities with which we are blessed. At the same time, we will only proceed with projects that are safe for Canadians and safe for our environment. We take this stewardship seriously. We are the only government in our nation’s history to reduce Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions, proof that emissions can decline even as economic growth continues.
To build on this record of good stewardship, economic action plan 2015 includes investments to enhance marine transportation safety in the Arctic as well as to strengthen environmental protection, spill prevention, and response measures in Canadian waters.
I want to address the dangerous world we live in. We say this often, because it is true. Government has no greater responsibility than protecting the lives of its people. Our government understands the present dangers and is determined to respond responsibly, without ambiguity or moral equivocation. Therefore, this budget includes measures to ensure the continued safety of Canadians.
First, it must be said: The jihadist terrorists who proclaimed a so-called “caliphate” in the Middle East have declared war on Canada and Canadians by name.
In response, we have taken up the fight both overseas and here at home.
We are extremely grateful to the men and women in uniform who put their lives on the line every day defending our freedoms. Our government will ensure they continue to have what they need to accomplish the dangerous tasks Canadians ask of them. We will increase the annual escalator for National Defence’s budget to 3% starting in 2017-18. As a result, our spending on Canada’s military will increase by $11.8 billion over 10 years.
Meanwhile, the RCMP and CSIS will have new resources not only to investigate and prevent further terrorist attacks on Canadian soil but to protect vulnerable young people susceptible to the lies and manipulation of ISIS recruiters, preventing them from throwing away their lives by travelling abroad to join the terrorists’ reprehensible cause.
Threats to Canada are not limited to jihadis with guns and bombs. We will also protect Canada’s most vital and essential services, including financial systems and communication grids. Our government is also focused on making our streets and communities safer from crime and putting the concerns of victims at the head of our justice system.
Our government has always supported strong communities, firm in our belief that they are the foundation of the nation.
Central to making our communities great is the willingness of Canadians to help others. Today I am happy to say we will make that easier to do. We will create a capital gains tax exemption for public-spirited Canadians who wish to donate private shares or real estate when the proceeds of their sale are directed to a charity.
For Canadians who support loved ones in other countries, we will take steps to make sure more of their money makes it to the recipient, and less is gobbled up in administrative costs.
To assist Canadian businesses that want to invest in developing countries while helping pull those countries out of poverty, we will establish a development finance initiative to provide financing, technical assistance and business advisory services to firms operating in developing countries.
This entire budget is about our unflinching march into the future, so we must never forget our rich and inspiring history, because that history guides our future. As our 150th anniversary approaches, we have set aside substantial funds for the celebrations, both on a national scale and at the community level.
Almost 150 years ago, the Fathers of Confederation had grand dreams and ambitions. If they could see us now, I think they would be pleased with the Canada we have become.
We have been through some trying times but now our hard work, the hard work of all Canadians, is paying off. Those winds of prosperity are powering us toward an even brighter future.
These are times of immense opportunity for Canada but also of substantial risk. The choices we make can assure a secure and prosperous Canada for generations to come. Together, let us make the greatest country in the world even greater
150th Anniversary of Canadian ConfederationAccess for disabled peopleAdministrative feesAgriculture, environment and natural res ...Arctic regionsAutismAutomotive industryAutomotive Innovation FundBalanced budgetBanks and bankingBlind people ...Show all topics
View John McCallum Profile
Lib. (ON)
View John McCallum Profile
2015-03-10 11:20 [p.11901]
Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure for me to talk on this topic. Just to amplify what my colleague said, which was that income inequality in Canada has grown under governments of all stripes, let me be clear: it has never grown under a federal NDP government, because there never has been one. We shall see if that continues in the next election.
I would like to reinforce what my colleague said about the statistics in a somewhat different way.
We have two parties here. On the one hand, we have the CIBC bank saying that the quality of jobs is the worst it has been in Canada for 25 years, the worst since 1989. It measures that quality by a mix of wage levels and by part-time versus full-time employment and self-employment. According to its studies, job quality is the worst since 1989, when the studies began.
On the other side there is the government, which puts out a flurry of its own statistics that suggest the opposite. I know my colleague talked about those statistics, and that is an important issue, but I would like to put the question differently: which has more credibility on this issue, a bank that has done studies saying it is the worst in 25 years or a government that says everything it has done is marvellous?
I would say the bank. I have a little credibility on this issue, because I used to work for a bank. Before I went into politics, I was chief economist for the Royal Bank. That is not the CIBC; it is another bank, but a bank is a bank, and I can say that if there is a bias within the banks, it is that they really do not want to annoy the government in power if there is an option. Therefore, all other things being equal, it is not that banks will lie, but if they have a choice, they would rather not present statistics that embarrass the government of the day. That is because they want to please the government for various reasons, commercial and otherwise.
CIBC is not out to get the government. If anything, CIBC officials would prefer to please the government, yet the statistics are clear in their own minds. They cannot please the government on this issue because the facts say very clearly that the quality of jobs in Canada is indeed the worst in 25 years. That is what CIBC said in this study.
I would argue, then, that CIBC has credibility, not only because it has competent economists who did the study but also because its own interest is to please the government rather than displease the government. It is obvious from the debate today that by coming out with this fact, CIBC has displeased the government. I would argue that no amount of self-serving government statistics should counter the fact that the bank has come out with an opposite conclusion even though it is not particularly in the interests of the bank to do so.
The bank studies in this field are therefore credible. The bank does not want to embarrass the government, but it does want to tell Canadians the truth. According to the bank's analysis, the labour market situation is the worst it has been for 25 years.
I am not sure I will devote more of my limited time to arguing the statistics. I rest my case by saying what I have already said, which is that the bank has far more credibility than the government on this issue.
Given that the bank's facts are, broadly speaking, correct, the question then becomes what the federal government should do about it. What should the federal government do to address the fact that the job quality in this country has deteriorated to a point not seen for 25 years?
The first answer to what to do would be what not to do. What not to do is not present a budget.
The budget is the basic core plan of the government. Particularly when times are tough and oil prices have plummeted and times are uncertain is precisely when the Canadian public and Canadian investors want to know that their government indeed has a plan. By delaying the budget until some unknown, unspecified date, the government is clearly indicating that it has no plan, or has no plan B, shall we say; it does have its tired old economic action plan, but that plan fell apart when oil prices plummeted and it became clear that the tax measures it proposed would put us back into deficit.
Conservatives want to keep that from the public. They want to focus the discussion on terrorists and war rather than on the economy, which is now doing very badly under their watch.
The first thing to do is have a plan, but the Conservatives' plan is non-existent. To the extent that it exists in the form of income splitting, it is indeed a bad plan.
The objective should be, first and foremost, to favour the creation of jobs, and not just any jobs, but high-quality jobs of the kind that we have not seen in recent years.
The second thing not to do is income splitting, because income splitting will do essentially nothing to help create growth and jobs, and it is a hugely biased program that benefits only 15% of Canadian households, leaving 85% totally out in the cold. It will benefit only a very narrow segment of Canadian households, and not, by the way, those generally in the greatest need.
It will not really do anything in terms of social justice by helping those most in need, nor will it do anything of any significance in terms of promoting jobs and growth or improving the dismal quality of jobs that we see around us today. The solution lies not in not having a budget or in this very poor income-splitting proposal, but rather in other measures, the kinds of measures that we in the Liberal Party have been focusing on.
First and foremost, I would say, would be infrastructure. We had a policy resolution some time ago at a policy convention calling for a very major increase in federal investment in infrastructure. The mayors of our cities are crying out for this measure. It has not escaped their notice that the federal government has cut infrastructure investment by 90% over the next two years, and it is now, not five years from now, that the cities are in desperate need of that expenditure.
Given our job situation, there is a double reason for infrastructure. One is that we desperately need it. We have an enormous infrastructure deficit. We need it for productivity, since it will enhance the transport network for our manufacturing sector and things of that nature, but we also need it for the jobs it will create. Economists' studies indicate that the multiplier effect or the job impact per $1 of expenditure is higher for infrastructure than for, I would say, anything else. Therefore, a second reason to focus on infrastructure is that it is highly efficient in creating jobs, often high-quality jobs, which would go some way toward counteracting the dismal situation that CIBC has indicated we find ourselves in today.
That is one major measure that would address this issue. Others would include support for higher education, because, as has been pointed out, under federal Liberal and Conservative governments—not, thankfully, NDP governments—we have over time seen an increase in inequality. Equality of opportunity is essential, and part of that equality of opportunity concerns access to post-secondary education, whether that be university, college, or some other form of post-secondary training.
That is just a small sample of the kinds of measures that we in the Liberal Party would propose in order to deal with this dismal situation of the lowest-quality jobs we have seen in this country for a quarter of a century.
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