Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to rise today to enter into the debate on Bill C-78, an act to establish the public sector pension investment board and to amend several associated acts.
Bill C-78 is just one more bill in the history of the Liberal government that attempts to set legislation based upon poor policy development. Sixty-two per cent of the public elected representatives to this side of the House. Regardless of our political stripes on this side of the House, we have all been in opposition to Bill C-78.
I represent the good people of Nanaimo—Cowichan and they have told me loud and clear that they do not want to listen to the empty promises of the Liberal government any longer. They have told me that when a government does not listen to the people then it is no longer the people's government.
The people I represent here today are gravely concerned about a government that does not act logically to protect the nation's children from pedophiles who seek to harm children through child pornography. They do not trust a government that discriminates against fair family taxation.
The people of Nanaimo—Cowichan do not look favourably upon a government that turns its back on those who need our help, such as the hepatitis C victims. Indeed, the people of my riding are incensed in the way that the B.C. government, and now this Liberal government, have treated them with complete disdain over the Nisga'a agreement.
Now the government wants to have the trust of the people of Nanaimo—Cowichan in order to quickly and quietly push Bill C-78 through the House of Commons.
In the few short hours that my hon. colleagues and I will have to debate this bill, I do not anticipate that the Liberal government will understand what the opposition is saying. Some will hear but few will listen.
Motion No. 32, put forward by my hon. colleague from St. Albert, speaks about the need for government to table in parliament copies of the appointments made to the public service pension advisory committee. I feel it is imperative that this board be made up of qualified individuals. The board cannot be made up of political appointees. This is not the place for more public trough feeding. This is a place for expertise and applied knowledge, not patronage appointments.
In turn, the board must be accountable for its investment decisions. Accountability is imperative. Plumb political appointments cannot provide the expertise and transparent accountability that is required for a board such as this. It applies likewise to Motion No. 33 regarding the liquidation of the surplus into the government coffers.
Let us be perfectly clear about what the Liberal government is planning to do with these surplus funds. It is planning to put the funds toward the balancing of the books. During this parliament, the government has purportedly balanced the books. The real questions are: How was this done, and where did the money come from to balance the budget?
The budget has been balanced purely and simply on the backs of taxpayers, not on the reduction of the bureaucratic nightmare that exists all around us. There have been more than 30 tax increases by the Liberal government since it came to power. Bracket creep and numerous other taxes are alive and well.
This budget has been balanced on the backs of every taxpayer in Nanaimo—Cowichan and every other Canadian, not through wise fiscal management. That is what the Liberal government wants to do with this money today.
As the issue of accountability is imperative, the question that begs to be asked is where and how will the $30 billion be put and used.
I see lots of writing in this bill, over 200 pages worth, but I do not see the plan of action for the surplus. Where is the plan? This bill is akin to the signing of a blank cheque. Mr. Speaker, I know both you and I are not in the habit of signing blank cheques. I would ask my hon. colleagues to tell us the plan. We have yet to see the real plan for other moneys this government has taken from the federal piggy bank. I will ask the question anyway. Where and what is the plan? I would welcome the answer, but frankly I do not expect to hear a full answer to this question.
Rather than being prudent and cost cutting, the Liberal government is looking for every available dollar that does not affect its spending habits. I would strongly urge the government to leave the surpluses inside the respective pension plans. This is imperative for the security and solvency of the plan members. Without these funds remaining within the respective pensions, the risk to taxpayers from potential shortfalls is enormous. There have been shortfalls in the past and it is conceivable there will be shortfalls in the future. I say this not out of fearmongering but rather out of a look at demographics.
It is common knowledge that the baby boomers, and I am one of them, are rapidly approaching their retirement years. We are not close to reaching the peak of potential retirees yet. As more and more people begin to access their pensions, there will be a greater and greater effect upon the funds within the pension. Foolish spending today will certainly cause problems in the future. The financial strain on the pension fund will continue to grow, not shrink.
Surely this is a recipe for disaster. This is not being fiscally responsible. Bill C-78 only adds to the fancy bookkeeping. The Liberal government should not have access to this $30 billion.
The Liberals have been saying they are putting this bill forward for the betterment and benefit of the taxpayers of Canada. This is nonsense. What Bill C-78 proposes puts the taxpayer at greater risk, not less. Although the surplus in the fund is enormous, there is a distinct possibility that a deficit could develop in the future. There is a precedent for this statement. This has occurred in the past. In fact, past deficits have cost the very taxpayers that this Liberal government is purporting to protect a whopping $13 billion. That is a very big number, one that should not be foisted upon the taxpayers of Canada.
My office has received numerous calls and letters on this bill. The calls and letters to my office are saying words that we cannot utter, like “stealing”, “theft”, “criminal”, and “leave my money alone”.
The union representatives state that it is unconscionable that the government would seize the surplus. They are calling this a unilateral decision. They clearly make the claim that the money belongs to the workers and I agree wholeheartedly with them. The federal Liberals balanced the books partially on the backs of the federal civil servants and now they want to take away the security of their public pension plan.
I have several other concerns regarding Bill C-78. One is that the auditor general will not have the right to perform an annual audit. In fact, the board's auditors will not even have to report to parliament. This is simply wrong. Without public accountability, questions regarding the transparency of the whole process will and should arise.
By comparison, the auditor general is currently not prepared to sign off on several past government budgets. Why on earth would we in parliament deny him the right to assure all Canadians, especially those who are in the pension fund itself, that their funds are secure? This is wrong. This bill takes powers away from the auditor general and it causes me great concern.
If this government wants to ensure that it is directly accountable to the people and that the process is transparent, people need to be assured there is not a separate set of rules for Bill C-78. Why should the same rules not apply to all legislation? Is there a problem with the auditor general doing his job in this capacity, or is there something else that is being hidden here?
In conclusion, I have many concerns with Bill C-78. I am concerned with the way the board is being set up. I am concerned with the accountability of this government and its fiscal accountability, or as many would say, its lack of accountability. I am concerned that the government is pushing through this bill with its enormous fiscal implications in such a short period.
I believe that if nothing else, the amendments proposed by my hon. colleague from St. Albert need to be given very serious consideration. Without those amendments I cannot support Bill C-78 in its present form.