Chris in the Commons

Ms. Chris Charlton (Hamilton Mountain, NDP): Mr. Speaker, thousands of Canadian who opened a tax-free savings account have now found out that these accounts are anything but tax free. In fact they have become tax-grab savings accounts.

People are facing huge penalties for over-contributing because the rules are neither clear nor sensible. People who are simply replacing money they had withdrawn are now having their contributions double-counted, and they are hit with massive penalties.

Ms. Chris Charlton (Hamilton Mountain, NDP): Mr. Speaker, just a little over a week ago, I had the privilege of introducing Bill C-527 to the House and petitions are already flooding in in support of that bill. The petitioners are essentially saying that spousal homicide should not pay.

Ms. Chris Charlton (Hamilton Mountain, NDP) moved for leave to introduce Bill C-534, An Act to amend the Income Tax Act (in-home care of relative).

She said: Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in the House today to introduce legislation that was first brought to my attention by good friend, Judy Wasylycia-Leis, the former MP for Winnipeg North, who, along with her adviser, Chuck Brabazon, did all the heavy lifting to make the bill's tabling possible today.

Ms. Chris Charlton (Hamilton Mountain, NDP): Mr. Speaker, tax cuts do not help seniors in poverty. Those seniors are not paying taxes. Canadian workers and failing or bankrupt companies like Nortel and many others need action to protect their pensions. Just last year the underfunded pension plan for CHTV employees in Hamilton wound up with an $8 million shortfall. This, while the executives at CanWest were given $41 million to top up their underfunded pension plan before entering CCAA protection.

Ms. Chris Charlton (Hamilton Mountain, NDP): Mr. Speaker, a year ago the House unanimously adopted an NDP motion calling for the government to allow Canadians to increase their CPP contributions. The government finally appears to have gotten the message, but what is missing from its plans is any effort to lift seniors out of poverty by increasing the guaranteed income supplement. The finance minister does not need the provinces to do that.

Ms. Chris Charlton (Hamilton Mountain, NDP): Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in the House today to speak to Bill C-386, An Act to amend the Canada Labour Code (replacement workers).

OTTAWA – New Democrat MP Chris Charlton (Hamilton Mountain) today introduced a bill to bolster the family income of persons living with disabilities by extending the “caregiver tax credit‟ to the spouses of persons with disabilities.

Chris Charlton (Hamilton Mountain, NDP): Mr. Speaker, I want to commend the Social Planning & Research Council of Hamilton for continuing its important work of tracking and reporting on the basic indicators for women's progress.

The council's most recent report confirms that women in Hamilton still earn significantly less than men. In fact, they only make 73% of men's total income.

Ms. Chris Charlton (Hamilton Mountain, NDP): Mr. Speaker, I will be splitting my time this afternoon with the member for Windsor West.

It will not surprise members that I am speaking in opposition to the Conservatives' budget implementation bill at third reading. We in the NDP moved 62 amendments to the government's budget that would have immeasurably improved the bill by taking out the most contentious sections and allowing them to be dealt with in stand-alone bills.

Ms. Chris Charlton (Hamilton Mountain, NDP): Mr. Speaker, I have spoken in opposition to the Canada-Colombia free trade agreement on numerous occasions in the House. I am delighted that, through the incredible leadership of my NDP colleague, the member for Burnaby—New Westminster, we so far have been able to stop this bill from becoming law. Now the government is shutting down debate through a draconian time allocation motion because it knows it cannot win its bill on its merits.