Deborah Grey

[Finance, November 17th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, the finance minister should do card tricks the way he talks his way around things.

The government knows the auditor general is the top watchdog in the country to look after the government's books and he should obey them. He has not done that. Businesses and home owners would not be allowed to cook their books the way the government has.

I ask the revenue minister, because he would be so happy to sue anybody who took after this kind of bookkeeping, will he stand in his place right now and say that the way the finance minister is cooking his books is wrong, plain and simple?

[Unemployment Insurance, November 16th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, our real agenda is to give tax relief. Our agenda is exactly what the actuary's agenda is, which is for the finance minister to lower premiums to $1.90.

I do not think he is too nervous about what the actuary is saying, he just needs to act on it.

With these billions of dollars in excess payments that people have built up, why is the finance minister not going to just give that money back to them? It is Canadians' money, not his own personal fund. When will he give it back?

[Unemployment Insurance, November 16th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, if the country is going to do well, as Gordon Thiessen said this morning, then perhaps the finance minister should talk himself right around the circle and give tax relief to Canadians.

He has skimmed $10 billion out of the pockets of people—workers and business people—in this country who have paid EI premiums. They have paid billions of dollars into it. He owes them money back.

When is he going to make his announcement that he is going to lower premiums to $1.90 for workers?

[National Defence, November 4th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, Louise Richard served in the military in the gulf war. She and many others in our military have suffered permanently from gulf war syndrome. This government discharged those people and refused to give compensation.

I would like to ask the minister what loving, caring excuse does he have today as to why these people have been shafted by this military and have not been looked after?

[Canadian Wheat Board, November 3rd, 1998]

Brand new people?

[Apec Inquiry, November 3rd, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, the public complaints commission has been destroyed by this government, by the solicitor general and by several other things, certainly not by the opposition.

It is obvious that the Prime Minister prefers the public complaints commission to an independent inquiry. The commission cannot investigate the Prime Minister's involvement, but do you know what, Mr. Speaker? A judge could. The commission cannot subpoena government documents that the Prime Minister says it cannot have, but do you know what, Mr. Speaker? A judge could.

I ask the Prime Minister, is that not the real reason the Prime Minister continues to talk about the public complaints commission when he should turn it over to a public independent inquiry to get to the bottom of what his involvement was?

[Apec Inquiry, November 3rd, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, he does know how to take them out.

Yesterday the public complaints commission said that instead of asking the federal court to decide if the commission was biased, it would now make that decision itself. In other words, the same commission that is accused of bias will sit in judgment of itself. This is what we call fairness?

When will the Prime Minister replace that farce of a commission with a real independent judicial inquiry?

[Canadian Finals Rodeo Week, November 3rd, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, next week marks the Canadian Finals Rodeo Week in Edmonton, Alberta.

To many Albertans this is real life itself. It is more than just horsing around. It is more than just roping a calf. It is more than just steer wrestling or a bucking bronco. It is more than just a lot of bull. It is where the best of the breed, men and beast, meet to compete.

It is an exciting week in Edmonton. Our city welcomes thousands of visitors during that week. They come from near and far. They come in campers and pick-up trucks and they have a wonderful week down at the coliseum.

This is serious competition. It is not just horsing around. The winners move on to compete in the world finals. It is a pretty exciting challenge for them.

The stakes are high and the money is big, just like Alberta.

I want to welcome all these people to the Canadian Finals Rodeo. I want to welcome all the contestants to cowboy country.

Good luck and good riding.

[Employment Insurance, November 2nd, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, workers and employers should be paying lower premiums. Four years ago the finance minister said:

There is nothing more ludicrous than a tax on hiring. But that is what high payroll taxes are—they affect lower wage earners much more than those at the high end.

Four years ago the Liberals had an excuse, that they were running a huge deficit. That was great then. What is their excuse today?

[Employment Insurance, November 2nd, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, we would have done one better. We would have taken a million families off the low income rolls, giving them a tax cut.

The employment insurance is the worst kind of tax because it hits the working poor the hardest. It does not make any sense. These people are being gouged by the Prime Minister and the government.

According to the chief actuary of the plan, every worker should get $350 back and small businesses should get $500 back for every worker they employ.

In all seriousness, why is the Prime Minister punishing the working poor?