Thank you for reminding me, Mr. Speaker. I have been on a long Canada-wide tour, as you know; some of the veneer of parliamentary procedure may have worn off. I do not think I will need to be reminded again.
The current Minister of Human Resources Development, who was opposition critic at the time, said it was a fact that the buying power of seniors had been cut substantially and retroactively. First the government had taken their income assistance away, and now it was taking their buying power away. As if this were not enough, they were struck a third blow with a $2 billion cut in provincial transfers by 1990. He added that it was clear the budget was an attack the income of seniors in many regards.
What would this same Liberal critic say, were he a critic for the opposition, not only about a so-called reform of social programs, but also about this important age tax credit? If the Liberal government wishes to maintain throughout this country, which we crossed as members of the human resources committee, the slightest faith in some fairness in the taxation system, it must move swiftly to truly examine that system, ensuring that the unemployed, the poorest and the middle class are not saddled with the burden of the deficit and the debt.
Yes there is a debt, but certain parties who remain in the background are not worried, and in fact are helping, perhaps even cheerfully, to dismantle what provided some well-being to so many such people who are slaving away, struggling, having difficulty paying their rent or affording to take a vacation. These are the people who are threatened at this time by the proposals as a whole, both for reforming social programs and those contained in this amendment. This is why we are asking the House to adopt our amendment, and thus amend the bill.