The New Democrats have proposed targeted tax relief for low and middle-income Canadians. The main components of this relief are an increase of the GST tax credit by $200 per family -- an increase of about one third; a personal exemption of $15,000. for Canadians below $20,000; a doubling of the Canada Child Tax Benefit to $4,200. per child.

The NDP would also restore UI benefits, and separate the Employment Insurance account from other revenues going to the federal government to ensure that this fund is not raided by government's anxious to use any surplus in that account to provide tax cuts to the rich.

In a growing economy, the debt is shrinking quickly as a proportion of GDP, and will continue to do so under the NDP fiscal plan. We are committed to reducing debt, but the federal debt is not the only debt that deserves attention. Average student debt today is $25,000 while per capita federal debt this year is $20,000.

The New Democrats believe that responsible investments that build our future are important and should be the first priority.