Mr. Speaker, like our last speaker said, I am sure the finance minister may not have had any ill intentions in bringing forward this bill. Certainly Motion No. 2 which we are talking to would suit to chastise the minister for this. Probably he could blame a civil servant for not advising him correctly.
I put forward another concept which might be one of arrogance. Across the way we see a lot of arrogance. We see arrogance which leads to not considering what the real facts are, in fact not really caring much about the kind of perception that is created by the bills put forward in the House. When that level of arrogance reaches all the politicians right from the front bench to the back, we know what usually happens. Possibly that golden age we heard talked about this weekend might well be at its peak at this point when we witness that sort of arrogance across the way.
Politics is so much perception; what people think is happening is almost as important as what really is. I put forward that the perception that is being painted by the government at this point with its patronage appointments, with its special committees, with taking care of all of its members so well certainly starts to resonate among the people. I will relate a few incidents which will bring this point out.
I was at the APEC meeting in Vancouver last fall. It was very interesting. I was sitting at a table talking to foreign delegates from the various APEC countries. At the table were two defeated Liberal candidates.
Just to give an idea of the patronage and the kind of thing that goes on, these two gentlemen made it very clear that they had received two nights accommodation at the Waterfront hotel in downtown Vancouver. Those who know that hotel know the cost. They had received transfers in a limousine to the hotel. They and their spouses had been invited to these various high class banquets.
These men were defeated Liberal candidates. One of them had run in Esquimalt. He said to the gentleman next to him “So you are from Papua. What is a Papua?” This candidate said “Why are you here?” “I am from New Guinea and we are actually a member of APEC”. You can see the perception. All of us at the table said he had just insulted a representative of another government. The guy from northern B.C. was even better. He said to the guy beside me “So you are from Australia. You are not an Asian. You cannot be here. This is just for Asians. Sir, what are you here for?”
Perception. Patronage. That is what this is all about. That is what this motion is all about. Remember that perception is everything.
We could go on to the Senate appointments we have just seen and the sort of arrogance there. Certainly when we go through that whole thing regarding Mr. Fitzpatrick the perception is not what actually happened. That happens in business. I understand that. I come from a business background.
It is the perception. You do not name the guy to the Senate. You do not appear to be rewarding that person for something. Maybe it is more honest in Alberta where Nick Taylor says “I worked for the Liberal Party for 40 years and so I deserved it. Yes it is patronage. Yes I took the patronage. Yes it is part of this whole thing and I do not mind finally getting my freebies, my return for that sort of patronage”.
It is perception. It is why people have so little respect for the today's politicians. We could go on. In the area I represent we talk about Mr. Fowler, a good friend of mine who is our representative at the United Nations. This guy got himself in lots of trouble. We even had to shut down the Somalia inquiry because it was getting too close to him. He was rewarded with patronage. Perception is what it is all about.
We all know that the minister I shadow is the godfather of Winnipeg. Nothing happens in Winnipeg without the godfather knowing about it.
Patronage. Perception. That is what it is all about. That is what hurts this place. That is what hurts this country. That is what hurts what we do here. It is perception. What the finance minister is doing might be just fine, but the perception is that something is not working properly there.
When I am in my constituency I talk about planet Ottawa. I talk about the place that is not related to anything to which the normal person might relate. There is little accountability. There is little transparency. There is little worry about perception and there is a great deal of arrogance. Seldom do the Liberals listen to the people. Seldom do they ask the people what they think because of the confidence and arrogance that is built here does not tend toward that.
With respect to Bill C-28 and taxation, what are people saying about taxation? What are they saying in the streets? They are saying the government should take care of that debt, lower the taxes and stop spending.
We look at it from a business perspective. As I said I come from business. As soon as the business grew too big, there was no more incentive. The government took more and more and more and finally one would say “Why should I keep working for the government? Why should I keep risking my capital for the sake of paying more in taxation?” This government is destroying people's initiative.
What about young people? Twenty thousand young people leave this country every year, PhDs and masters graduates. Why do they leave? They leave because we have the highest tax levels in the G-7. They leave because they see no light at the end of the tunnel. They see a doomed pension plan. They see an insurmountable debt. They start looking around. It is a brain drain we as a country cannot afford.
Going on to payroll taxes, there has been a 73% increase in payroll taxes. What will that do for jobs?
I have to tell this House about visiting with people in three countries where there was a different method for pensions. A method was there for them to look at and to be part of their system. They had a private plan where they could look at their investment and see what it was worth to them. We must provide that initiative, that incentive, that whole thing which makes this country such an important and workable unit.
Very briefly, this is a snapshot of this country looking from outside. We have a $583 billion debt. We have a $45 billion interest payment which is destroying our social programs, our educational programs and is creating unemployment. In our military we discipline the guys at the bottom but none at the top. Our dollar is down in the tank. We have not learned very much. Everything we are doing is hurting our future generations.
I plead with this government to start being concerned about perception, about transparency. Start doing things as the Canadian people ask it to.