Canadian taxes are the lowest they've been in almost 55 years, Tory cabinet minister James Moore told a Surrey Board of Trade luncheon audience Friday.

The federal minister responsible for B.C. sang his government's praises during a speech at Surrey's Eaglequest golf course.

"We have lower taxes in every way in which the federal government collects taxes," he said.

Moore said that in the last quarter, Canadian business investment increased by 9.4 per cent, with a 7.2 per cent increase in machinery and equipment investment.

"It shows that Canadian businesses are deciding to invest heavily in their companies, so they are planning for a more prosperous year ahead," he said.

He added that the federal government has lowered income taxes, taxes on small businesses and taxes on investments, increased the personal exemption on income taxes, and that "tens of thousands" of seniors and low-income earners are now "off the tax rolls altogether."

Canada's economic growth is projected to be the strongest in the G7, Moore said. He added that since July 2009, more than 890,000 new jobs have been created in Canada, with 90 per cent being "full time, well paying jobs."

"These are by the way the strongest job numbers in all the G7."

The MP also told his luncheon audience that the Canadian economy grew 8.1 per cent from 2006 to the end of 2012.

"That's a full point higher than the Germans' economy, which is by far the strongest economy in all of Europe," he said.

Moreover, Moore said, Canada's debt-to-GDP ratio "is by far the lowest in all the G7. We have cut the federal budget deficit in half in two years and are on track to balance the budget in 2016."

"Canada's economy is clearly going in the right direction."

During his speech, Moore noted that it is "very easy" for politicians "to spend all their time thinking and talking about how to spend money" when really they should be spending more time focusing on creating wealth for taxpayers.

He also mentioned a new employment insurance benefit for parents who want to take time off work to care for their sick or critically ill children. The government estimates about 6,000 families will use this benefit, he said.

Moore told the diners that for first time in Canadian history, B.C. will have the same number of MPs as Ontario and Quebec come the 2015 general election.

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