A stronger, safer, better Canada

Canada's New Government's has delivered its second budget. This economic plan reduces taxes for hard working families, pays down debt and invests in Canadians' key priorities like improving health care, protecting our environment and making our communities safer.

Here in York- Simcoe parents struggle daily with the challenge of raising a family. We need to make it more affordable for people to have children, and to raise them. In Budget 2007 we are creating a Working Families' Tax Plan. This plan has three components:

- First, for families with children it includes a brand new $2,000-per-child tax credit for children under 18 that will help families to get ahead.

- Second, we are ending the marriage penalty through an increase of the spousal and dependant amounts to the same level as the basic personal amount.

- Third, we are helping parents save for their children's education, by strengthening the RESP program.

We are also taking action to ensure that our seniors can live in dignity. In Budget 2007 we're helping seniors by raising the age limit for RRSPs to 71 from 69 years, increasing the age credit by $1,000 and permitting pension income splitting.

75% of the personal income tax reductions in Budget 2007 will go to Canadians earning $75,000 or less. Since being in power, Canada's New Government has introduced nearly $38 billion in individual tax relief over this and the next two fiscal years.

Our government is also lowering our national mortgage by $9.2 billion - on top of the $13.2 billion we have put against the debt since elected. That is the equivalent to $700 dollars in debt relief for every Canadian.

Lower debt will mean lower interest payments, which will mean lower taxes. Through our Tax- Back Guarantee, every dollar saved from lower interest payments will be returned to Canadians through personal income tax reductions.

Budget 2007 also provides a total of $2.6 billion in new health care investments, as well as an increase in health transfers. This means our government will transfer $44 billion in health care funding to the provinces and territories over the next two years.

Preserving our environment is a priority for all Canadians. In Budget 2007, Canada's New Government has invested $12 million to protect Lake Simcoe's environment.

We have also taken action to make our communities safer. Many serious crimes that we read about today, including gang activity, link back to the drug trade. As a result, we are launching a new National Anti-Drug Strategy to combat the use of illegal drugs.

We are also providing funding to protect children from online sexual exploitation and to assist investigators in suspected cases of human trafficking.

Our actions today will create a Canada that we will be proud to pass on to our children and grandchildren- a Canada with a standard of living and quality of life that are second to none. Canada's New Government is working for all Canadians to build a stronger, safer, better Canada.