Mr. Speaker, the government is considering an appeal of the judgment of the Federal Court of Appeal in the Thibaudeau case primarily for practical reasons.
The government wishes to make it clear and emphasize that we do not repudiate the result in the case in the sense that tax equity particularly for single parents and those providing for children is among our principal priorities. As we made clear in the budget documents and as we have made clear in the policies of this party, the government is committed to ensuring we have tax policies which get the maximum amount of dollars into the hands of parents who are looking after children, which is our ultimate concern.
The judgment last week came at a time when the policy is being developed. We are concerned that the situation at the moment in Canada has been destabilized by this judgment in a sense that those who are paying support and those who are receiving it are not certain of their rights. The judgment was unbalanced in the sense that the result dealt with those who received the money but not those who deduct the payments. We have those practical concerns.
Let me say in closing that we are dedicated to a tax policy and a fiscal approach that will properly provide for children and for single parents who look after them. At the same time we are considering an appeal so that indirectly this judgment does not redound to their detriment by causing confusion about their rights.