Mr. Speaker, I rise in this adjournment debate to obtain an answer from the Minister of National Defence to my question of February 7 on why members of the Canadian Forces residing in Ontario are being forced to pay the new Ontario health premium tax when they have no access to the benefit.
Military members in Ontario deserve to know why the minister, with the increased cost of rations and rent, continues to refuse to stand up and demand a full refund of the Ontario Liberals' health premium tax.
To add insult to injury, as of today the men and women who put their lives on the line for the service of their country still have not received the pay increase they were promised over a year ago; yet another promise made and promise broken.
As the minister is aware, on May 18 of last year, after campaigning on a promise to not raise taxes, the Ontario Liberal government introduced a controversial new tax called the Ontario health premium, with the claim that all contributions made by residents of Ontario would be funnelled directly into the Ontario health insurance plan, OHIP.
However, members of the Canadian Forces residing in Ontario are insured under the Canadian Forces health services plan and are specifically excluded by the Canada Health Act from the definition of insured individuals.
The Canadian Forces health services plan is a $450 million health care system that the federal government identifies as a direct federal contribution to total health care spending in Canada.
In turn, the federal government uses this figure in health care negotiations to reduce the amount it transfers to the provinces.
As a result, Canadians soldiers living in Ontario are being asked to pay twice for health care. That is wrong and it must stop.
It is important to note that similar health care premiums instituted by the provinces of Alberta and British Columbia specifically exclude members of Canada's military residing in these provinces because they are insured under the federal health care plan. Why is the federal government consenting to the Ontario Liberals' violation of the spirit and the law of the Canada Health Act when other provinces in Canada have acted to exempt the military from their health premium plans?
The Minister of Health excuses his decision not to take action and stop this appalling misuse of power by refusing to recognize that payment of the Ontario health premium is for the purpose of health care services in Ontario.
The fact that the Ontario health premium tax is called a provincial income tax and must be paid by all residents of Ontario, regardless of access to coverage under OHIP, ignores the stated purpose of this premium tax, that is, to pay for health care. The province of Ontario has been very clear that every dollar of the Ontario health premium collected will be invested directly in Ontario's health care system.
The method by which Ontario collects this health premium tax from soldiers is not the issue. The federal government should not be concerned with how the premium is being collected, but only that it is being collected.
The fact is, our soldiers in Ontario are being forced to pay for a benefit they have never received and will never be allowed to receive.