Mr. Speaker, the members of the NDP who are in the House will vote no on this concurrence motion.
Lost his last election, in 2000, with 42% of the vote.
Department Of Industry Act December 6th, 1994
Mr. Speaker, the members of the NDP who are in the House will vote no on this concurrence motion.
Department Of Industry Act December 6th, 1994
Mr. Speaker, the NDP members of the House of Commons vote yea on Motion No. 10.
Department Of Industry Act December 6th, 1994
Mr. Speaker, the members of the New Democratic Party who are present today vote no on Motion No. 3.
Department Of Industry Act December 6th, 1994
Mr. Speaker, as the whip for the New Democratic Party caucus the New Democratic Party members present in the House vote yea for Motion No. 5.
Banks December 6th, 1994
Mr. Speaker, when inflation is high bank profits are high. When inflation is low bank profits are high. When interest rates are low bank profits are high. When interest rates are high bank profits are high. Banks made over $4 billion in profits last year alone. No matter what the economy does banks are consistent winners.
The finance minister is looking for new sources of revenue to pay down the deficit. Why is he not doing the obvious and asking banks to pay their fair share of the deficit? Why does he continue to burden taxpayers and small business owners with high taxes and reduced services? Why are the banks getting a free ride? Why is he asking Canadians to continue to tighten their belts with social program cutbacks while banks pay no taxes on their profits? Is it because the banks gave over $700,000 to the Liberal Party's election fund last year?
The government must investigate the banks' profits to ensure consumers and small businesses are not being gouged and to ensure banks pay their fair share of taxes.
Budgetary Policy November 30th, 1994
Mr. Speaker, as the New Democratic Party caucus whip, New Democrats in the House today vote no.
(The House divided on the motion, which was agreed to on the following division:)
Gasoline Prices November 30th, 1994
Mr. Speaker, last spring gas prices jumped seven cents per litre across Canada without justification. Only after I publicly called for the government to investigate this industry for price fixing and gouging did gas prices drop about three cents per litre. Public protest followed and it dropped one or two cents more per litre around the country leaving a two or three cent a litre increase intact.
The Bureau of Competition Policy today said it does not see price fixing. This is a bizarre conclusion with unanswered questions. Why this conclusion? Could it be because the oil companies and the Liberal government are in bed together?
For example, the Liberal Party received political donations from Husky Oil of $14,000, from Amoco Oil of $27,000, and from Imperial Oil of $47,000 last year alone. He who pays the piper calls the tune. As far as Canadian consumers are concerned the Bureau of Competition Policy and the Liberal government are more like lapdogs than watchdogs when it comes to gas price fixing.
The oil companies' donations in this case to the Liberal Party are paying off.
Members Of Parliament Office Inventories November 29th, 1994
Not Saskatchewan.
Members Of Parliament Office Inventories November 29th, 1994
Let us abolish it.
Members Of Parliament Office Inventories November 29th, 1994
Mr. Speaker, the Auditor General reports that corporations owe $2.9 billion in unpaid taxes to Revenue Canada for 1993.
He also states: "Clearly, reducing deficits through more effective tax collection is preferable to raising taxes. Taxes receivable are an important national asset and leaving them uncollected has a serious impact on the deficit".
The burden on the deficit of unpaid taxes and tax expenditures is overly represented by corporations and large businesses. I raise concern to the fact that $2.9 billion in unpaid tax is owing to this government. The federal government has a responsibility to ensure that money is paid back to the treasury it is due. Corporations owe 32 per cent of the unpaid taxes. Another 12 per cent of unpaid taxes are from employers, that is business, who have not paid their payroll taxes. According to the Auditor General, the vast majority of accounts in arrears are less than one year old.
The federal government must work toward recovering these delinquent accounts. This is only the first step. The government has a responsibility to close the present tax breaks and the tax
loopholes provided to corporations and higher income Canadians. Why is it that a Canadian with an income of $286,000 can reduce their tax rate to less than 10 per cent, while middle and lower income Canadians experience tax rates of close to one-third of their income? The tax system gives corporations and the wealthy big tax breaks and some are still not paying what they owe. This must be corrected.
The government must stand up to tax cheats and close tax loopholes. It must also undertake tax reform during their budget deliberations, not just cut social programs.
Our economy has just been through some difficult times but not all corporations were in financial trouble. Many have turned healthy profits but do not pay their fair share of taxes.
In his reply the Minister of National Revenue stated that companies and individuals are "having a tough time after the recession". This sympathy was not extended to unemployed Canadians who saw their unemployment insurance benefits slashed. Unemployed Canadians were also victims of the recession, yet they did not seem to have the government's sympathy.
The government needs to place a tax on profits so that profitable corporations pay their fair share of taxes at a time when they are able to pay. The Auditor General identifies $37 billion in tax expenditures, of which only $15 billion is RRSP related. The majority of Canadians with RRSPs are average Canadians who are preparing for their retirements and are, in effect, deferring income that will be taxable in the future. The rest of the tax expenditures are corporate write-offs.
Why is the government not looking at ways to increase its revenue by eliminating some of the corporate tax expenditures and putting a cap on RRSP contributions from higher incomes?
The tax system is in desperate need of reform. Corporations are not paying their fair share of taxes. The Liberal government has made it clear that cutting the deficit is a priority, yet it has not taken a serious look at increasing revenue from profitable corporations.
The government has instead chosen to cut back on social programs. It is raising university students' tuitions, cutting money to seniors and cutting UI payments before it even considers making profitable corporations and the wealthy pay their fair share of taxes.
The government also continues to give away money to profitable corporations. As a former businessman I respect the company wanting to make a profit, but why are corporations such as Royal Oak Mines, Rolls-Royce Canada and Bombardier also receiving millions of dollars in grants? The Chamber of Commerce receives $2.1 million.
I am asking the government to get serious with the deficit by collecting the money owed by corporations and to reform the tax system to make it fair.