No, I cannot say that because my responsibility is to lead, to govern and to represent the people of St. Albert. I do not think they sent me down here to vote for this kind of largess for myself at their expense.
The last budget told us that 45,000 civil servants with families and children would be laid off. Their careers have come to a full stop. Some of them are young and perhaps can get started again. Some are middle aged and some are looking at retirement not that far away. They say: "I had a career. I worked hard. I made my contribution to the country. I have earned my salary. I have made my pension contributions". The pension they can expect is a lot less than half of what we can expect. They made their pension contributions and all of a sudden the curtain came down and that was the end of it: "Thank you very much. We do not need you any more. You are out on the street and you can look for a job".
Where are the jobs? Where are they? Surely it is the responsibility of the House to provide jobs and they are not there. There will be 45,000 people with families on UI with their self-esteem destroyed and with their careers in tatters and ruins, and we are debating Bill C-85 to make ourselves rich.
I have a very serious problem with Bill C-85. I have a very serious problem with members of the government who stand to say how greatly we have sacrificed and how much we have given to the country. There are tens of thousands of unspoken, unnamed Canadians out there who are giving every bit as much, even more than we are.
The recognition they get is a Canada pension plan that perhaps may not even have any money in it to provide any kind of pension for them when they retire. We are now talking about elevating the age from 65 to 67 while for ourselves it is 55. Surely the double standard should cease. That is what we are saying. The double standard between those who legislate and those who are legislated has to cease. Why do we not start right here with Bill C-85, have it withdrawn completely and bring it back with a reasonable pension?