Madam Speaker, before going into Bill C-78, I would like to say that I have a great deal of difficulty understanding the behaviour of my colleagues across the way who, just hours ago, proposed a time allocation motion, a highly undemocratic gesture, moreover. That revolts me, to start with.
It revolts me also to see that these people are capable of finding positive aspects to the dirty deal they are now handing to government pensioners.
This government deliberately attacked the unemployed a few years ago. It misappropriated the funds in the employment insurance fund, the surplus that had come from the unemployed and from employers, with not one cent coming from the federal government. Using all kinds of tactics, however, the Minister of Finance managed to get his hands on $25 billion.
This Minister of Finance is so money-mad that he has now found a new source of supply. This time he is going after his own employees, those who helped keep the government running properly, those who have helped ensure the country's security—I refer to the RCMP—and those who made a contribution within the Canadian forces.
These three pension funds total $30 billion, which the government wants to get its hands on, possibly for the purpose of again giving Liberal ministers a chance to create programs that will offer an opportunity for flag-waving and will, more importantly, stir up trouble with the provinces. That is their specialty.
They are very honest. In fact, they said very clearly in the September 1997 throne speech that they were increasingly aware of the fact that they needed money. Why? The Liberal ministers are certainly concocting other programs to show how good this government is and how sensitive it is to the current disaster, with the unemployed, young people without work and people who do not have access to adequate health care services because of the cuts in funding.
With the $30 billion, the federal Liberals are preparing, for September or October, another marketing blitz and propaganda campaign to demonstrate how good a government they are, but once again, opposition members, particularly members of the Bloc Quebecois, are being vigilant. We know what they are up to.
More and more, the government is shirking its responsibilities. Not too long ago, the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency was established, and it will allow the Minister of National Revenue to shirk his responsibilities. Questions will be asked of the minister responsible for this agency in the House, and I already know what the answer will be “I will investigate. I will ask the agency. I cannot interfere, because it is an independent agency”.
This is false. It is not an independent agency.The people who were chosen, as all those who will be appointed to the new public sector pension investment board, are good Liberals. I will give some very important criteria that will be used by the Liberal government to create what we call a possibly objective board of directors.
First criterion: they will check to see if these people are Liberal members with a paid up membership. Second criterion: they will check to see if they are good friends of the Prime Minister. Third criterion: they will look at their financial contribution to the Liberal Party of Canada. And, above all, they will check to see if these people are prepared to commit, unconditionally, to follow the Prime Minister's orders.
I am convinced that these are the four criteria that the government will use to appoint the board of directors of the new public sector pension investment board.
When we ask questions to the ministers opposite about this investment board if, unfortunately, it is established, they will hide behind the fact that it is an independent body. But this board will not be independent.
Now, all agencies are controlled by the Privy Council. This is where the real power lies. It is not in this House. The power is with the Privy Council, with the Prime Minister of Canada, the special advisers, the Minister of Finance and the President of the Treasury Board. These people do all sorts of things, at the expense of the poor in society.
I find it totally unacceptable to go after one's own employees, to hit people who have been working hard for 20 or 30 years. Today, the government will reward these people by taking unilateral action, by taking $30 billion directly from them.
The government is trying to tell us that this is an honest proposal. I have a lot of trouble with this word. Yesterday I looked in the Larousse dictionary for synonyms that come close to what we cannot say, but I was not successful. It is a bit like a swindle. With this bill, the government is trying to show that it is being good to its employees. Nothing could be further from the truth.
I would like to go back to the very democratic incident of this morning. This bill affects many people, some of them retired. We have many comments to make, but this government has become an expert at imposing time allocation. When we want to speak the truth, we are gagged and forced to speed up the process. Why? Because the government is going to need money again in the fall because there is no longer a surplus in the EI fund. It has cleaned out the fund, and new money will be needed, this time for other partisan programs and propaganda.
I have travelled extensively, and I have seen the image that Canada projects, particularly at agricultural shows. All the countries focused on their products. Canada's image in Paris especially was something else. There were so many Canadian flags that it was hard to see the products. All the other countries knew that what matters is the products and the market. When Canada takes part in an event, the dominant image is maple leaves. The names of vendor companies or organizations appear on the leaves.
One of the visitors asked me “Is this the Canadian pavilion?” I said no, it is just exhibitors who happen to be together inside the Canadian pavilion. Members can imagine the kind of image we are projecting on the international level. We are moving towards globalization and we should be promoting our products and all the provinces, and what do we see, when we get out of Ottawa? The maple leaf propaganda of the Liberals.
At the beginning of my remarks, I expressed some reservations about the actions of my friends opposite. To conclude, I would like to ask for unanimous consent to move the following motion:
That all government members, since the government has imposed time allocation on consideration of Bill C-78, at report stage, be prevented from speaking during today's debate on this bill.