Deborah Grey

[Taxation, September 26th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, it would certainly be a great start, that is for sure. Let us look at the government's tax record and the Prime Minister's record on letting his government backbenchers vote freely.

The hon. member for Lac-Saint-Louis said that he and his colleagues are “typecast as if we are all stupid—we are just supposed to be voting machines”. That is from a government member.

The vote on the gas tax is tonight. I would like to know from the Prime Minister, honestly, if he is going to make his caucus feel stupid again.

[Points Of Order, September 22nd, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, this arises out of the alarm that we just had in the House of Commons. I want to refer specifically to your behaviour in the chair when you said that maybe we could let this wait for a couple of minutes.

You and I are both school teachers. You know what to do when we have people who are personally our responsibility and we hear an alarm. You are up and out. You know that I got up and out as quickly as I could. The galleries cleared sooner than this Chamber.

This is not just a little laugh or chuckle. I am deadly serious. No, we could not smell smoke and maybe you wanted to hear the minister's answer. However, you said that we would leave it for a couple of minutes. It could have been a bomb and there could have been not just members of parliament here. There could have been people in the galleries and staff in the building. I do not think that we need to just pass this off.

I have been here many years and you longer. That was a different sound than many of the alarms than we have had. It was incumbent upon us and it was incumbent upon you to get people up and out of here as quickly as possible. You are responsible for the Chamber and, in fact, the whole place. I think it was—

[Points Of Order, September 22nd, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, I was just on my way up to the chair to give you notice that I wanted to address you specifically about the Chamber. I am not sure if it is a point of privilege or a point of order.

[Fuel Taxes, September 22nd, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, I am sure as a member of the government he would be happy to bring that legislation in any time under government orders. We would be happy to deal with it.

I said that it was not just low income Canadians who are worried about this. Canadians of all brackets and all walks of life have vehicles that need gas and homes that need heat this winter.

I find it interesting that the government all of a sudden says that it has to consult with the provinces. It sure did not consult with them when it jacked up the tax. I do not know why it is so worried about consulting them now. No one will ever buy that argument. The Canadian public sees right through it.

If the Liberals could get their nominations through in holy haste, surely to heaven they could lower this tax about that fast as well.

[Fuel Taxes, September 22nd, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, I think he did quite a few things in terms of lowering taxes in Alberta.

Let me read from the minister's 1995 budget. It said “Federal excise tax on gasoline will be increased to help reduce the deficit”. The deficit is gone but the tax is not.

It is not just low income Canadians who are worried about this fuel crisis and who are in the midst of it. All Canadians are worried about heating their homes this winter and putting gas in their vehicles.

Is it not time that the gas tax being lowered would be one promise that the government should keep?

[Olympics 2000, September 22nd, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, our Olympians are going for the gusto in Sydney. We are watching and cheering them on in every single event. Our athletes are working their hearts out, pushing themselves to the very limit to achieve their goals. When one stands on the winners' podium and the Maple Leaf goes up and we sing our national anthem, our whole country stands tall and proud.

This is what the Olympic spirit is about: our young men and women representing us and competing against the very best athletes in the world.

I am sick to see the politics of funding entering the debate right during the games. Yes, we need to question levels of amateur sport funding and how much of it actually goes to the athlete. Those are priorities that, yes, need to be discussed, but certainly not right now in the midst of the games.

Right now we need to be cheering them on and letting them focus on their goal of competing. They deserve and need our support. Go team Canada, go.

[Fisheries, September 21st, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians, or anyone for that matter, just do not believe when the minister makes a threat or an ultimatum in the name of peace that it is ever going to happen. He waited for others to suggest that Bob Rae go in and mediate. He hoped that Bob could do what he himself would not do. Plan b just walked away.

We know that there is only one commercial fishery, lobsters, in Miramichi Bay and that fishery is only in the spring. Why has the minister allowed any traps there now, let alone 24 hours from now?

[Fisheries, September 21st, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, the fisheries minister has completely lost control of the crisis in Burnt Church. Worse, his inaction has led to violence and confrontation.

Today the minister said “We have told them they have 24 hours to remove their traps”. Canadians simply do not believe that 24 hours means 24 hours to the minister.

Why does he not enforce the law and get those traps out of the water today?

[Gasoline Taxes, September 18th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, in fact people from coast to coast are not taking any heart from this finance minister when they are filling up their gas tanks.

This Thursday the official opposition will put forward a supply day motion which will call for lower gas taxes. The government charges GST on its own tax on gas. We want that to stop. The government upped the gas tax to lower the deficit. We want it lowered again. These are common sense ways to bring relief to Canadians.

Will the Prime Minister allow a free vote by all his members on our motion? Yes or no.

[Gasoline Taxes, September 18th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, I bet the member from Pickering does not like that in his pocket. In the finance minister's 1995 budget he upped the gas tax by a cent and a half every litre. He said he did that to help reduce the deficit. The deficit has been gone for two years now but the tax is not.

Canadians are worried about their heating fuel and filling up their cars and truckers are threatening to strike, but the government keeps on taxing and coming up with excuses.

Why did the finance minister not keep his word?