Finance Committee on June 1st, 2010

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

We're over time.

Also, I do have a request. In the first round we didn't get to the NDP, so I have a request from Mr. Mulcair to ask a few questions.

[Mike Wallace, Conservative, Burlington, ON]

I didn't get a response from Mr. Beaudoin.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

Can I get unanimous consent to finish this round and that round?

[Some hon. members]

Oui.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

Okay.

Ça va?

Monsieur Beaudoin.

[Mike Wallace, Conservative, Burlington, ON]

I just need a real quick yes or no.

[Jacques Beaudoin]

Thank you. I would just—

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

We're just going to have a very brief response, Mr. Beaudoin.

Then we'll have your round, Mr. Mulcair.

[Jacques Beaudoin]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

I would just like to make one very brief clarification. RRSPs were mentioned earlier. The legislation will be very complicated. However, pension fund cuts also greatly complicate people's lives.

As regards RRSPs—the question was raised earlier, but it is important to understand the way things work—when there are returns, I take the money. However, if we are talking about my pension fund, the fact is that it is my employer who takes the surpluses by means of contribution holidays. So, there is quite a difference between the two systems, Mr. Hamilton.

I wanted to provide that clarification, because that simply does not hold water.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

Merci.

Monsieur Mulcair, s'il vous plaît.

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Outremont, QC]

Mr. St-Michel, I am happy to see you again, as well as Ms. Blanchard and Mr. Fréchette. It is always a pleasure to receive you. Mr. Langlois, Mr. Beaudoin and Mr. Hamilton, welcome to the committee and thank you for being here this afternoon.

Mr. Chairman, when my colleagues were introducing Bill C-290, I said that the NDP would support it, but I would nevertheless like to congratulate Mr. Fréchette, in particular. I was here when he made his presentation. He begged us not to engage in partisan politics with this bill and to understand that we are talking about human beings.

I think that is the most important part of our job, as members of Parliament—looking after human beings. I am anxious to see what the Conservatives will do. For a year and a half, lengthy consultations have been underway. My colleague, Mr. Menzies, crisscrossed the country in all directions—and more than once—because he is part of consultations on pensions that are going on at the same time. But the only answer we have heard from Minister Flaherty thus far is: “It's complicated”. That is all he has been capable of saying on this. But it is not that complicated, even for him; he is capable of understanding the issue. The Conservatives are just trying to provoke a federal-provincial squabble, which does, or does not, involve the Bloc and Quebec.

This bill simply aims to help human beings who worked all their lives and who have every right to be helped by the federal Parliament in an area that falls within its jurisdiction.

We can assure you of our support, but I am really anxious to see what the MP for Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup will do when the time comes to vote on this. I promise you, Mr. Fréchette, that I will call you personally to tell you how Mr. Généreux voted on this important bill.

[Ted Menzies, Conservative, Macleod, AB]

That's non-partisanship for you. Thanks, Thomas.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

Thank you very much for your presentations.

The meeting is adjourned.