Madam Speaker, certainly this is Bill C-78 and I am quoting directly from the bill. I do not understand the hon. member's comments.
The more one thinks about this as I said, the goofier it gets. To tie survivor pension eligibility for relationships outside of marriage to the conjugality of the relationship without defining what that means or how conjugality will be assessed, who is included or excluded and on what basis, makes the whole terms and the whole test meaningless. Essentially anything goes.
There was one little ray of light. Somebody was thinking and there is one thing they did pick up on. The only thing they seem to have limited for survivor benefits is when the survivor is found to be criminally responsible for the death of the contributor. No survivor benefits will be paid in that situation.
I have seen some strange things done in the land of the Ottawa sun, but this bill is a blatant grab for unaccountable control of the surplus of the public sector pension fund. It is increasing employee contributions and extending survivor benefits using inappropriate and undefined terms and then placing all this mess on the back of the Canadian taxpayer to bankroll. The eventual screw-ups will be a wonder to behold.
The capper will be when every Liberal member, many of whom I respect in other circumstances, will dutifully vote in support of such an outrageous blank cheque on the taxpayers' account.
I can see that you, Madam Speaker, are as awestruck as I am. It is in that condition that I will take my seat.