Mr. Speaker, I have enormous respect for the member who is speaking and I always respect members who decide to vote against their party, in this case, on a matter of principle. However I have a hard time understanding exactly what the principle is that the member objects to in this bill.
I understand his environmental concerns and his remarks about the energy industry. However I do not understand why he supports a two tier tax system, one for businesses in general and then a higher tax burden for the companies that make enormous investments, take huge risks, apply tremendous technology and employ hundreds of thousands of Canadians that work in the natural resources sector, which has been the heart of the Canadian economy all through our history.
Why does he support a two tier tax system rather than one which is equitable and does not pick winners and losers in terms of sectors of our economy?