Mr. Speaker, does anyone remember back to the eve of the federal election of 2000 in which the Liberal government promised Canadians some form of rebate to offset soaring home heating costs? Rumour has it this vote-buying boondoggle is about to be repeated.
Do I have to remind Canadians that the last time the Liberals tried this, among the first to receive their cheques were 13,000 residents of prisons and cemeteries. I understand why the Liberals would send cheques to the inmates since they give them the right to vote, but I am not quite sure why they mailed them to the dead. Perhaps they had a plan for them as well.
Even worse, the Auditor General reported that up to 80% of the $1.4 billion of taxpayers' money disbursed went to people who do not pay heating bills. Don Drummond, the chief economist with TD Bank, dismissed the program as “a joke. It's political, I guess; economically it doesn't make any sense”. I think Mr. Drummond is right on the mark. It is no coincidence that these rebate cheques will arrive at winter's end and just before the planned spring election.
I beg Canadians not to be fooled again and not to let the Liberals bribe them with their own money.