Deborah Grey

[Taxation, March 2nd, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, in spite of all the credits that the minister brags about, these people are still paying $4,000 a year more in federal tax and the minister is clawing back that money off the child tax credit.

The point is that last year single income families paid 92% more federal tax than dual income families. Under the 1999 budget that discrimination gets even worse. Families with a stay at home parent pay more than double the federal tax of a two income family regardless of what he says about credits. Families are having to live on credit now.

Why does the government continue to discriminate against single income families?

[Taxation, March 2nd, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, if you want the real facts you go to Stats Canada and not to the minister.

Take two Canadian families that earn $50,000 a year. In one family both parents work outside the home and in the other, one parent stays home with the kids. One would think they would pay the same amount of taxes, right? No, in fact they do not. The family that has one parent stay at home pays $4,000 more a year in taxes.

Why does the Prime Minister think that is fair? How does the Prime Minister think that is fair?

[The Budget, February 17th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, the member talks about the Canada Health Act. Is she telling Canadians right now that they have equal access to a waiting line? I do not think Canadians would be too impressed about hearing this member rattle on about the Canada Health Act.

This government has stripped billions and billions of dollars out of health care and put a little back in yesterday. The wealthy and the desperate still fly to Minnesota to the Mayo Clinic.

Let me repeat that we are seeing an American health care system. We are seeing a two tier health care system in this country. That goes against the Canada Health Act. That is Liberal health care.

How come Canadians cannot get a hospital bed in our own country?

[The Budget, February 17th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, today 200,000 Canadians are still on waiting lines in hospitals. But if they are wealthy or desperate they could jump the queue and fly down to the United States for treatment. They could pay cash for health care. If that is not two tier, if that is not American style health care, I do not know what is.

I would like ask the father of two tier health care how will this budget guarantee that Canadians will not have to fly south for health care.

[Health Care, February 16th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, there is not much surprise because the whole budget has been leaked to the national press. We already know what is in it.

It is knowledge, it is common fact that this government has forced Canadians to go on the longest waiting lines in history, that health care has been slashed in funding to the provinces. The Prime Minister can say he brought them here to Ottawa last week to be good to them but everyone in Canada knows the facts.

How can $2 billion in health care spending this year undo the damage that $16 billion in Liberal cuts have caused?

[Health Care, February 16th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I will say it again. This government is the sponsor of a two tier health care system and the proof is watching the news every single night. This government has slashed funding to the provinces which are responsible for health care year after year.

Can the Prime Minister guarantee today that no more Canadians will have to fly to the States to buy medical treatment?

[Health Care, February 16th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, the answer is this, and it sounded from the government benches that they know it. The Liberals are the sponsors of two tier health care. It is under their watch that governments have cut spending drastically. People are suffering right across the county because of government cutbacks for years.

[Health Care, February 16th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I guess the truth hurts, the Liberal Americanization of the Canadian health care system. Two hundred thousand more Canadians had to stay home. They could not afford to fly south. They are the people in waiting lines here. That is the Liberal legacy.

Can the Prime Minister guarantee today that no more babies, no more cancer patients, no more MRI patients will be forced to go to the United States to buy treatment?

[Health Care, February 16th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, judging by the news apparently yesterday was budget day. But it has done nothing to stop the Liberal Americanization of Canadian health care.

Because of Liberal cuts thousands of Canadians have to go to the States to buy treatment—

[Petitions, February 15th, 1999]

Madam Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I have the honour to present a petition signed by several people in Edmonton. Many of them are from the Sheppherds care manor in Edmonton North: Nick Hebberhold, Sadie Redomski, Mr. William Block and Esther Bartel. I see my aunt's name is on here, Thelma Larson.

Whereas the majority of Canadians understand the concept of marriage is only the voluntary union of a single, that is unmarried, male and a single, that is unmarried, female and whereas it is the duty of parliament that marriage as it has always been and understood in Canada be preserved and protected, the petitioners pray that parliament enact Bill C-225, an act to amend the Marriage Prohibited Degrees Act and the Interpretation Act, so as to define in statute that a marriage can only be entered into between a single male and a single female.