Reform put the motion forward and I think it is shameful.
On Bill C-70 and the hoist motion, it is important to understand what it means for a rural area such as mine. In my area there are a significant number of tobacco farmers. On this whole question of taxation and excise taxes their point of view should be heard, whether or not the Reform Party wants it heard.
Getting back to what I was saying about the importance of taxation, of the GST and the legislation, in my area $14 million goes to local governments. The whole tax question is important to the local economy. An enormous amount of work has been done by a group in this area. It breaks down specifically some of the percentages of the total effect on employment in the area and the impact of taxes such as these on a farming community like mine.
These farmers were encouraged by previous governments to come to my area of southwestern Ontario to grow tobacco and build communities such as Delhi, Tillsonburg and Aylmer. Throughout this area the tobacco farmers pay taxes. It is important to put their point of view forward here today.
In terms of the legislation the hon. member referred to, I do not think most farmers in my area will have a problem with that bill. Even though it addresses some questions in terms of dealing with how young people get access to tobacco, I do not think it is specifically directed at the tobacco industry. However a taxation bill, an excise tax by the Minister of Finance and the tax he put on tobacco companies will have a direct impact and I will explain how this relates to the House.
In 1994 when we put on the tax the major companies did not take that tax out of their profits. In fact, it came out of the pockets of the farmers in my area. The price the farmers got kept going down as a result of governments applying taxes. I am sure it will be similar in this case also.
Most Canadians, especially the people in my area of Haldimand-Norfolk do not like the idea of more government taxes. It is important for us as a government to put forward programs which do not require more taxation. I congratulate the Minister of Finance for not raising taxes in that regard. It is important for the government to show that it can live within its own means. If we are going to provide services in the country, they should be provided in such a way that they do not add to the debt or the deficit and that the cost does not come out of the pockets of Canadians. The Minister of Finance has done that very well over the last number of years.
We made a promise to Canadians to do something about the GST. Whether or not, as the opposition likes to say, we promised to scrap it or to reform it, one of the most important things we did in bringing in this tax was to ensure that Canadian small businesses were not hurt as they were when Mr. Mulroney and the Conservatives brought in the original tax. The Minister of Finance has made
over 100 changes which will help small businesses. Canadians especially in the eastern part of the country will be proud of that.
Hopefully one day Ontario will have a system which requires us to pay only one tax so that when people go to the till the tax will not be staring them in the face. That more than anything else will help to turn people's opinions around in terms of what they purchase. Harmonization will help all Canadians.