Madam Speaker, I am pleased to join the debate on Bill C-78.
The intent of this bill was to improve the financial management of the three major public sector pension plans as well as to make technical changes. I am convinced that if the intent of the bill was strictly to improve those pension plans, the government would have the undivided support of all members of this House rather than just its own.
The bill will affect the RCMP, the armed forces and federal public servants. It will also establish a new plan for Canada Post employees at a future time.
With this bill the government has failed to truly take part in improving the benefits for all persons involved. As far as the discussion on the surplus is concerned, the government will argue that the surplus is strictly its own. It has come to be acknowledged in Canada and in a good many countries that when workers and employers invest into plans for the workers, if there is a surplus it is a shared surplus. In private business within Canada that is the acceptable road to go.
The government has once again failed to truly support the workers who in many cases give their lives for this country. The government has failed to commit to the pay equity process over the last 14 or 15 years. There has been a lot of rhetoric about how it believes in pay equity and a whole spiel of things. The government comes out with wonderful sayings but when it gets down to the brass tacks of things, it does not come through.
Once again the government has said to public sector workers in Canada and to all the others who are affected that they really are not valued and the government is not going to put anything extra into that plan, even though women will retire from the public service with a wonderful pension plan of $9,600 a year. This does not seem to be the infrequent case. It affects too many members. Those persons will have no opportunity to have further benefits from that pension plan.
In reality this bill will increase premiums at some point but the government will still be responsible for deficits in the plan. The Government of Canada did not want to have this deficit hanging over its head. The government is using the deficit of the public service pension plan as a ploy to get the deficit down, get rid of the pension plan and have it looked after by another medium.
However, the government wants to use the surplus to offset the government deficit. Meanwhile it is using the money to offset the deficit saying there is a surplus within the government. The government has been playing a shell game with the book figure on the public service pension plan surplus.
Another area within this bill that certainly could have used an improvement was in regard to the board. My hon. colleague from the Bloc has just mentioned that it will not ensure representation by the workers or the members involved in the plan.
Certainly on the advisory board different groups will have an opportunity to be represented. The advisory board can make recommendations of names, but the minister does not necessarily have to accept those names. I have seen situations where names have been put forward and the minister says, “No, I do not want that person”. Another name goes forth and another name goes forth until the minister possibly will have the board that he or she so chooses.
Sadly in a good many situations what ends up happening and what has led to a lack of credibility and no longer a show of support for a number of good organizations, is there are political appointments. The minister may not end up on the board or maybe not his cousin right now, or a former minister but there is the opportunity for other political appointments from political parties, somebody's wife, a minister's wife ending up on the board. There is nothing to restrict those kinds of things from happening.
Those types of issues have made Canadians leery of politicians and the whole process. As a result we all suffer from the lack of credibility the Canadian public will show for government and for all politicians.
Another area that has been of concern, and I am glad we have put forth an amendment to address that issue, is that the funds will be invested through the normal investment process, the market. There is a real situation arising and the workers, or individual Canadians who are part of these plans, may see their dollars being invested in companies such as Imperial Tobacco.
We are fighting so hard to decrease the number of kids who are addicted to tobacco. We are fighting the dollars that go into the tobacco industry as best we can. This is not because we do not believe there can be some kind of an industry with tobacco products. It is because we do not believe companies should be selling the product as healthy and that it is okay to smoke. Suck it in, end up sick, die, and the health care system is going to pick up the tab. As we fight that in parliament, the pension dollars will be at risk of being invested in those same companies as they sell their products in countries that maybe will not succeed in putting in some of the laws and regulations that I hope we are able to do to protect our citizens and certainly our youth.
Tobacco is an issue but there are others, to say nothing of companies that make arms or land mines, for that matter. Is there some way we can ensure that no dollars within these pension funds are going to support companies that are producing land mines? We are fighting the battle to have land mines banned throughout the world. We cannot get the U.S. to come on board. Can we ensure that these pension dollars will not be invested in those companies?
Unless we can ensure that happens, I think we are failing Canadians and the people in these pension funds who do not want their pension dollars to go to those companies. That is a major issue.
Some people do not think that ethical funds can survive or have an extra dollar put in their pockets. I would suggest that the people who strongly support ethical funds, if it were a difference of a dollar or so, quite frankly if it were a difference of a whole lot of dollars, they would still stand behind the investment in ethical funds. They should be given the opportunity to ensure that dollars coming out of their pension plan can be invested in ethical funds. That is an absolute must within this bill.
The mutualization of funds is taking place in some companies. The investor I deal with actually was shocked when I asked what was going to happen with the dollars that we had in our funds and whether he was going to ensure that they were invested in ethical funds. The question had not come up. He was taxed with the process of finally having to check to see what exactly could be done.
I can say quite frankly, if it were my dollar, I would not want it being invested in tobacco companies, land mine companies, or any kind of company that is not doing what is best for people worldwide. If we want to talk about globalization, then let us show a real interest and support for globalization in expecting the same things for Canadians and people all over the world.
The government's move for closure on this bill is really disappointing. It is not allowing a thorough and proper debate on an issue that affects so many Canadians. It was brought about quickly, it was slammed through committee quickly. Closure having been brought in did not allow Canadians overall and those affected to hear about this. Some have heard but others are just realizing now that their pension dollars are going to be affected. The government needs a little slap on the wrist again for invoking closure and for not allowing proper debate on an issue so important to the people investing in these pension plans.
I would encourage all members of this House to support the amendments which will at least give this act some credibility.