On Parliament Hill

With the recent outbreak of forest fires, Canadians have once again shown their willingness to help during times of crisis.

In Fort McMurray, where the devastation was most widespread, almost 100,000 people had to be evacuated from their homes, in many cases leaving everything they own to the ravages of the massive fire.

Many will return soon to find that everything they own is gone. They will face financial and employment uncertainty. Their home, possessions and treasured keepsakes and mementoes all lost to the fire.

But through all the devastation, Canadians have stepped up to help those displaced by the fires. Donations to the Canadian Red Cross had already topped $55M by earlier this week. Canadians have once again shown how compassionate and caring they are. And as people begin to rebuild their lives, charities on the ground like the Red Cross will be right there to help.

I am encouraged to see charitable organizations step up at times like this. I often wonder where we would be without them.

Government services provide much needed help to Canadians who are struggling, but government cannot do it all. There are many gaps in our system, and charities do an incredible job of filling those gaps. Every single day and night across Canada, charities provide food for the hungry, beds for the homeless and help for those in crisis.

When a natural disaster or emergency strikes, charitable organizations work with families affected at the ground level providing numerous critical services. Among other things, they provide, clothing, medical equipment, childcare and household goods, transportation and counselling.

The road to recovery after a major disaster can be a long and arduous one and local charitable organizations are always there to help.

In Parliament recently, I introduced the Fairness in Charitable Gifts Act (C-239), which seeks to strengthen the charitable sector by increasing incentives for charitable giving. With this bill, donors to registered charities would receive the same generous federal tax credits that donors to political parties currently receive.

With the recent forest fire situation in Alberta, we have witnessed firsthand the generosity of Canadians. But many Canadians often struggle to be in a position to give to charitable organizations because they are simply focussed on making ends meet within their own household. In fact, when surveyed by Statistics Canada, 71% of Canadians surveyed stated that the number one reason for not giving more was simply that they could not afford to do so.

The Fairness in Charitable Gifts Act would make it more affordable for Canadians to donate to charitable causes, and in turn, charities across Canada would benefit greatly as more dollars would be freed up for donations.

I am confident that Canadian charities will continue to meet not only the emergency needs in the devastated communities, but also continue to provide the long-term assistance needed as families and businesses rebuild.

Let’s continue to support charities as they continue to support those in need.