Mr. Speaker, due to a glitch in the tax law, former JDS employees owe hundreds of thousands of dollars to Revenue Canada on money they never earned. Many have gone bankrupt. I brought this issue to the Prime Minister four years ago when he was the minister of finance. He promised me he would help and he did not.
On May 27, 2004, the Prime Minister came to my riding to campaign during the election. At the Victoria airport, he met with former JDS employees. He looked them in the eye and promised he would fix their problem. He did not.
Two months ago I was told an administrative solution was doable to this problem. Now I learn they never intended to do anything other than seize these people's money. I have tried to work with the government for over four years on this file. Every promise I have been given has been broken.
The Prime Minister should be ashamed of the way he has treated these people. I implore him again today not to turn his back on these people, fulfill his promise, keep his word, show the House that his word means something and help these people.