Mr. Speaker, the new finance minister stated that he believes that users should pay for services. It sounds a lot like Alliance talk.
New Democrats do not believe that victims of crime should have to pay for the police because every Canadian benefits from safe streets. We do not believe air passengers should have to pay extra for security because everyone benefits from terror free skies and buildings. We do not believe Canadians should have to pay to use their roads. We also do not believe they should have to pay for health services because everyone has a right to quality health care.
Obviously the new minister plans to take more from the pockets of Canadians. Where else is the new minister imposing user fees: at ports for cruise ship passengers, to people accessing Parliament Hill?
Canadians will be better served by handling security, police, roads and health care through general revenue instead of the Liberal government nickel-and-diming ordinary Canadians while it plays patronage games with taxpayers' dollars.