Mr. Speaker, I listened with interest to the hon. member's speech.
The hon. member has made a comparison between what a member of Parliament and someone in the business community makes. It is important for him to remember and understand the fact that to have credible government we have to have credible people here.
In my other life I was a poultry producer. I was respected in that occupation and 18 months later I hope I am respected in this one. Personally I have not changed.
To become a member of Parliament it cost my farming operation over $12,000 a year. That was just in workmen's compensation payments and unemployment insurance to replace me.
When the hon. member talks about gold plated pensions and so on, a study was done that stated that members of Parliament were underpaid. We have by the way frozen our wages again. I know it is not an option because we cannot give ourselves a raise when we are telling everyone else to hold the line. However, the report recommended an increase in pay for members of Parliament. I would be more than happy if that happened to see the pensions done away with and work within an RRSP program.
We know we cannot have an increase in pay. The public will not stand for it. I agree with that. Therefore I feel the pension reform is more reflective of what that increase in pay would have been. I know if a member of Parliament was working in the business community he would be making a heck of a lot more money than what he is making right now.
Does the hon. member think a member of Parliament makes as much as a person in the business community does if he is doing the same job that we are doing?