Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to hear the member for the Bloc address this issue from the point of view of it being a grab bag of many issues on the whole front of corporate taxation. He clearly identified the failure of this motion in terms of some of the most egregious tax loopholes and corporate giveaways this country has ever seen. I appreciate the fact that the Bloc has made a difficult decision to oppose this motion for very good reason.
I stand here today to comment on the arrogance of this Liberal motion, and the audacity and bravado of Liberals to bring forward such a motion dealing with corporate tax loopholes, giveaways and tax havens that have been around through many years of Liberal government and still are not addressed by members opposite.
I have listened very carefully to the heckling from my colleague across the way, the member for Mississauga South, and I want to begin by pointing out that the arrogance of the Liberals and the corporate ties of the Liberals most clearly comes to mind given the instant line, the instant phone call, between members of the Liberal Party and the Canadian Association of Income Trust Investors.
It is interesting that the member stands in this House or heckles from his seat at about the identical moment that I received a threatening email from Brent Fullard, who is the coordinator for the Canadian Association of Income Trust Investors. I find it rather curious to see this kind of ongoing tactic of intimidation and threats that have been used by this association when it comes to anyone who opposes the Liberal position. I certainly find it reprehensible that the Liberals would immediately adopt that same kind of line and tactic.
I want to say very clear for the record that my concern generally about the Liberals has been made more clear by the fact that the statistics we have received indicate the donations that have been made by members of the Canadian Association of Income Trust Investors to the Liberal Party and to leadership contenders, including I might add the member for Kings—Hants who received a donation in his leadership bid. The member for Kings—Hants received $5,000 from James Kinnear, president of Pengrowth Energy Trust, one of the founding members of the Canadian Association of Income Trust Investors.
Now that is a pretty small amount in comparison to the amount of money that actually went to Bob Rae, which was in the neighbourhood of $40,000. Yet, it is about in the same neighbourhood as the amount of money that went to the leader of the Liberal Party. I have not even mentioned the money that went to the leadership campaign for the member for Etobicoke—Lakeshore.
I raise this today because in fact there are huge questions about why the Liberals felt so compelled to take up the cause of the Canadian Association of Income Trust Investors. They feel so compelled today to defend this organization and the member representatives of this organization, and have no compunction about standing in this House and identifying with Brent Fullard and the president of this association when he writes me that I need to publish an immediate retraction of my supposed false statements and assertions made, otherwise I will face a lawsuit.