Mr. Speaker, one of the words the previous member used was hypocrisy. As I listened to his speech I thought what great hypocrisy that that party has today in the House. Essentially what members of that party are saying is that Canadians who are successful business people have no place in the country's decision making process.
I have practised as an accountant for many years and there is a difference between the definitions of avoidance and evasion of income taxes. Avoidance is the things that one does in the normal operations to try to reduce one's taxes. Today when people buy an RRSP, they are avoiding paying income taxes. Does the member suggest that those people should also somehow be victimized by the system, that people who use the system to reduce their income taxes should also be subjugated and not eligible for elected office?
We live in a trading country. Canada's GDP represents about 40% of trade. Forty per cent of the income of our banks comes from off shore, from foreign sources. Are we suggesting that they stop doing that, that they stop being engaged with those countries around the world?
The fact of the matter is that the economic activities of Canadian companies do not just occur in Canada. They occur in other countries, and they are taxed or not taxed according to the rules of other countries. Does the member suspect that the opportunities exist in this country for people like that?