Mr. Speaker, the government opposes the bill because it creates its own inequities. Let me tell members why.
Let us take seniors, living in the estates to which the hon. member referred, who are receiving a Canada pension plan amount, for simplicity's sake, let us say $100. That $100 is included in their income tax return for the purposes of calculating their income tax liability. Now their next door neighbours who are fortunate enough to receive social security payments from the United States already get a $15 benefit on that same $100. Therefore, that $100 comes to those seniors living right next door to the others who do not receive Canada pension plan and who only have to include $85 in income for the purposes of the calculation. The hon. member's bill proposes that instead of including $85 in their income, that they only include $50 in their income. Not only is there an issue of fairness here, there is an issue of even greater inequity than presently exists.
The current protocol of 15% was negotiated between the countries so that there would be some reciprocity in terms of recognition between Canadians living abroad, in the United States in particular, and receiving Canada pension plan. They too get a $15 discount and that reciprocity is given to Americans living here receiving U.S. social security and paying taxes here.
In fact, the fairness issue is really quite clear. There is a significant inequity between people living side by side, one receiving a Canadian pension and being a resident here and another being a resident here and receiving an American pension. Therefore, I fail to understand the thrust of the hon. member's speech and his bill. I put it to him that he is not only building on an inequity that exists, he is creating a further inequity between pensioners.