Mr. Speaker, we on this side of the House are able to express our opinions freely in debate and look for the pros and cons of legislation. We do not commit ourselves to restricting what we say simply because of the party line. A healthy debate on all sides of the House is a sign of an active Parliament.
I address my comment and question to the member who just spoke. In my riding office I received a number of elderly constituents who are receiving U.S. benefits and they spoke of hardship because their benefits were being taxed in the United States. I felt powerless to help them and told them this was a matter of U.S. administration and could only be resolved by a treaty between Canada and the United States.
A treaty is in the process of occurring. We have a bill before the House. I accept that some members may feel it has some inadequacies.
Does the member agree that in addressing the concerns of low income seniors receiving benefits from the United States the bill is a good thing?