Mr. Speaker, we cannot accept that, in his budget, the Minister of Finance is once again attacking the poor while leaving untouched the tax privileges enjoyed by the rich in our society.
That approach, which proposes no tax reform, perpetuates inequities. There is nothing in this budget to eliminate the tax treaties signed with countries considered tax havens, thus allowing large corporations to avoid taxes. There is nothing as well about flags of convenience used by Canadian shipowners and the government itself so that they can employ foreign sailors who pay no taxes to Canada.
To top it all off, the Minister proposes to tackle family trusts only in 1999, while rich families use this loophole to avoid paying their fair share to the government. As radio anchorman Joël le Bigot said, if you hit the humble, you are ready for the federal government.