Mr. Speaker, before royal assent I was discussing Motion No. 16. I suggested that it is a very important motion because it restores the benefits to their current levels. Many people will experience a cutback to their benefits under the legislation. It will make accessibility to benefits more difficult. It is a step in the wrong direction.
Motion No. 17 has been moved by the NDP under my name. It would restore the old formula for the calculation of disability benefits under the CPP.
Unfortunately the Liberals across the way in their new conservative style have decided to make it more difficult for disabled people to collect benefits under the Canada pension plan. They are hanging their heads in shame.
Disabled people are finding it more difficult to get benefits. This is happening at a time when we are experiencing economic recovery in the country. The so-called Liberal government is taking it out on the disabled.
I would be willing to sit down if the Liberals would get up to explain why there is an attack on the disabled. I am puzzled as to why the party of Paul Martin Senior and the party of Lester Pearson would do that kind of thing. It is amazing. They are going after those who are most vulnerable in society. They are making accessibility to disability benefits more difficult.
I plead with the government to accept this reasonable amendment to return to the formula that currently exists in the Canada pension plan for the disabled to receive benefits.
Motion No. 18 is also very interesting. It is a departure from the current Canada pension plan. Currently there is a maximum of $35,800. Above that maximum people do not make any further contributions on their earnings. What actually happens is that the person who is making $35,800 pays as much into CPP as a senator, a member of Parliament, the Minister of Finance or Conrad Black, who is a friend of the Minister of Finance.
I ask again if that is fair. I ask the hon. member for Abitibi if that is fair. That member is a free spirit. He should be rising in the House and saying that it is not fair.
My motion would make it more progressive. It would ensure that people who make more money would make contributions on the money they make above $35,800 a year. Some might say this is a radical idea that could not be sustained.
The upper limit for contributions to the United States pension plan is $85,900 Canadian a year. That is over two and a half times higher than what it is in this country.
Let us make it more progressive when it comes to people who are making $50,000, $60,000, $100,000 or $150,000. As members of Parliament we should be paying a bit more of our income into the Canada pension plan to make it more progressive. It would be more progressive than the contribution rate for low income people. It would be lower. It would not be 9.9% but much lower than that.
Turning to Motion No. 19, there is a cutback in benefits to women. They want to restore the formula so that low income people receive the same kinds of benefits they are getting today.
I am not asking for too much. The economy is starting to turn around. Why penalize women? Why penalize the disabled? Why cut back on survivors benefits? The death benefit is being cut back from about $3,500 to $2,500. Again many widows are receiving that benefit. Once again it is an attack on women.
My Motion No. 22 is self-explanatory. In a nutshell those are the motions I moved. There is also one Reform motion in this grouping.
This group of amendments would restore progressivity to the Canada pension plan. I would like to see one or two progressive Liberals, one or two so-called left wing Liberals or pink Liberals, getting up in the House of Commons to offer a bit of support to a couple of these amendments.
The member for Abitibi may do that. He used to be a Conservative MP. Now he is a Liberal MP. Why does he not continue that move toward the left by getting up and supporting some of these progressive amendments. It would be good for his constituents and good for Canada.