Gary Pillitteri

[Petitions, October 2nd, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, at the request of 74 senior citizens of my riding of Niagara Falls, I would like to table a petition asking that Parliament regulate the longstanding Canadian practice of marketing generic drugs in a size, shape and colour similar to its brand name equivalent.

[Taxation, March 26th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to speak tonight to the private members' Motion No. 148 which calls for the House to recognize the heavy burden of taxation placed upon Canadian families.

This motion also calls for immediate action to be taken to provide the Canadian family with tax relief, taking into consideration the continuous reduction and balancing of the federal budget debt.

In my opinion this motion is not very clear. It does not propose specific measures. However, the motion does call for tax relief for families and a move to a balanced federal budget, a very commendable goal.

However, the government should not support this motion. The Liberal government, in its March 6 budget, has taken several steps and measures to address the serious concerns that must have prompted this private members' motion.

We have seen that the budget does not increase taxes on the family. With serious and well balanced measures, the federal budget continues to provide expenditure restraint that will eventually lead to a balanced budget. This in turn will bring about a reduction in the broad based taxes paid by families.

The budget has shown that the Liberal government cares about families and the welfare of children. This can be seen, for example, through measures such as the doubling of the working income tax supplement. The child tax benefit will increase to its maximum level from $500 to $1,000.

These are measures that show how much our government cares for families in our society. By restoring a climate of financial health, we are paving the way for more dynamic job creation in our economy.

It is well known that by lowering the deficit we will obtain lower interest rates. This in turn will create growth and investment which will lead to more jobs and a flourishing economy.

We know that the Canadian tax system is effective and fair. According to a recent survey taken by the OECD, Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, we rank 14th in the world. This means that there are 13 industrialized countries where the tax burden is much higher than that of Canada. Our country enjoys one of the highest standards of living of all the industrialized countries in the world.

We have learned that Canada has the highest index of human development. Of 173 countries around the world, Canada ranked first in terms of longevity, average income, spending for education and health care. This is according to the human rights development report prepared and published every year by the United Nations.

This means that in Canada our tax dollars are well spent. We are all receiving an exceptionally high value for the taxes we pay. With the new budget, the government has proven that it is meeting the fiscal targets it set.

After a lower than projected deficit last year, the government is now on track to meet or better the target of $32.7 billion in 1995-96 and 3 per cent of the GDP in 1996-97.

The budget also announced $1.9 billion in spending cuts for 1998-99. This, together with actions introduced in the last two budgets, will ensure that the deficit will continue to decline for years to come.

This motion asks for the relief of pressures that taxation places on Canadian families. The budget has already done this. Let us look at the support for families.

The Liberal government is moving ahead with improvements to the child support system in Canada. This strategy announced with the budget includes guidelines for setting child support, fairer taxation of support payments, better enforcement, and increased income supplements for working families.

The current system places the tax burden on the custodial parent and provides a deduction for the non-custodial parent. Under the new child support strategy, custodial parents will no longer pay income tax on child support payments and non-custodial parents will no longer claim a tax deduction.

These new tax rules will apply to agreements and court orders made on or after May 1, 1997. They will not apply to existing orders unless the orders are varied by the courts or unless the parties have agreed to the changes. This means children will benefit from a fairer and consistent child support which will be paid in full and on time. In addition to these measures, the parents

will be allowed to file a joint election with Revenue Canada to apply the new tax treatment.

Moreover the current age limit of 14 years for children with respect to whom the child care deduction may be claimed does not recognize the need of many parents, especially the single ones, who work at jobs which require them to be away from home at night. Accordingly, our government proposes to raise the age limit for eligible children to 16 years. This measure will complement the other changes made to the child care expense deduction and it will without any doubt assist single parents and support learning.

The increased assistance is important to the many Canadians who are caring for and supporting adult children and other relatives who have moderate to severe medical conditions. I am aware of many constituents in Niagara Falls and Niagara-on-the-Lake who are providing home care for invalid members of their families. These families will find relief in the government proposal to increase the value of the infirm dependant credit from $270 to $400 and to raise the dependant net income threshold for the phase out of benefits from $2,690 to $4,903.

The measures proposed in the budget promote fairness: fairness to the Canadian taxpayer who complies with his obligations under the Income Tax Act; fairness that will ensure everyone shoulders their fair share of the tax burden. These are reasons enough for me to vote against this motion.

[Sharpeville Disaster, March 18th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, March 21 commemorates the day when in 1960, 70 peaceful demonstrators against apartheid were killed and over 180 wounded in Sharpeville, South Africa.

Six years later, in 1966, the UN General Assembly proclaimed March 21 International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

Today I stand to express my pride in Canada's response to the UN proclamation. Canada was the first country in the world to establish a national education campaign to raise awareness about the destructiveness of racists and racial discrimination.

Because of this initiative and thousands of others undertaken by different levels of government, schools, business and individual Canadians, our country has earned a reputation as a world leader in the fight against racism and racial discrimination. For this reason, we should all be very proud.

[Finance, December 14th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, this is my first opportunity to address Canada's 35th Parliament. It is a special day for me and the constituency I represent. I would like to take a moment to thank the people of Niagara Falls who two years ago elected me as their federal representative.

It is with great pleasure and eagerness that I take part in today's debate, a debate which focuses on pre-budget consultations that the finance committee, of which I am a member, held across Canada.

The consultations began in Ottawa on September 19. Since that time the committee has listened to testimony from Canadians from

coast to coast. The committee chose to use round table discussions to allow as many groups and individuals as possible to participate.

On the agenda, among other specific subjects, were the charitable sector, agriculture, monetary policy, education, health, the hospitality industries and tax expenditures.

The committee heard from labour unions, business and health organizations, charitable and community groups and also from many individual Canadians.

This year I was part of the group which heard from people in eastern Canada. The people who appeared before the committee offered sincere, diverse and far-reaching advice. One thing struck me: the eastern Canadians who made presentations to the finance committee expressed the same concerns, aspirations and dreams as the people in my beautiful constituency of Niagara Falls-Niagara-on-the-Lake. Their hopes and dreams are for a better future; a future in which unemployment will decrease, the economy will turn around and their children, when they graduate from high school, college and university, will find gainful employment. There is widespread agreement among Canadians to work together to achieve a better tomorrow.

Spending has to be cut, but at what price? We do not want to hurt those who can least afford it, as we see happening in Ontario. Canadians are ready to make sacrifices in order to have a better future.

By the end of the third year of the Liberal government's mandate the Minister of Finance will have fulfilled the party's election pledge. The finance minister will have shaved $18 billion off the deficit we inherited in 1993-94. We will have been successful in cutting the deficit almost in half, from 5.9 per cent to 3 per cent of the GDP.

We know that mindless cuts without concern for the consequences or the need for adaptation may result in short term savings, but they can also result in long term costs.

The third party presented to Canadians a slash and burn approach in its shadow budget which considered the elimination of the deficit in one year. At what cost? Canadians know that the Liberal government is proposing a lean but not mean approach. The government is committed to ensuring that the most vulnerable in our society will be protected. The fundamental problem remains a debt that is growing faster than the economy. Reducing the deficit remains paramount for job creation and growth.

There can be no more effective job creation program than getting interest rates down. In turn, there is no more effective way to get interest rates down than to decrease the deficit. A stronger economy contributes to the reduction of the deficit and the debt burden. The benefit is mutual and it will continue to grow with time.

Our strategy has been to apply a steady, significant, but orderly reduction of our deficit. We have seen the results. Today we have learned that the inflation rate is steadily declining. That is good news for all Canadians. However, we must remember to be careful. We must remember that transfer payments to provinces and to seniors amount to approximately 20 per cent of program spending. The most important thing remains the changes we have put in place to reduce the deficit. Those changes have been structural and have resulted in a lasting improvement in the way government does business.

In the 1995 budget we made a commitment to reduce the size of the unemployment insurance program by 10 per cent. We have done that. Once the reform of the unemployment insurance program is fully implemented, the cost of benefits will be reduced by approximately $2 billion a year. More important, $800 million will be reinvested in employment benefits to help Canadians get back to work.

When the system is fully implemented the reform will create approximately 100,000 to 150,000 jobs per year. In high employment areas, such as the riding which I represent, the new system will be phased in to ensure that individuals and communities have the time to adjust. These reforms are about fairness. They are about helping people get back to work.

We recognize, with understandable satisfaction, that 500,000 full time jobs have been created since the election, but we know that much remains to be done. Government alone cannot create jobs. We can, however, generate and foster the right environment in which the private sector can grow and create desperately needed jobs.

In last year's budget we stated clearly that one of the main objectives was to ensure the affordability of a public pension system. We know that over the next 20 years Canada will undergo big demographic changes. If we want to maintain our pension system well into the next century we need to start planning now for future changes.

The government has started discussing with the provinces how best to secure the future of the Canada pension plan. We have to ensure this key part of our social fabric be sustained well into the future.

In the 1995 budget the government reduced subsidies to business by 60 per cent, or $2.3 billion. Most of the remaining assistance is in agriculture where it takes the form of contributions to insurance schemes.

The government will continue to examine spending on subsidies so as to ensure that it is limited and, most important, justified.

I would like to talk about a subject that is on the mind of every Canadian, our tax burden. We all agree taxes are too high. However, our present economic situation does not permit us to reduce taxes.

We must realize that difference in tax burdens with other G-7 countries reflect differences in the composition of tax revenues. Some countries rely more heavily on revenue such as payroll taxes than Canada does.

Higher taxes in Canada have always reflected a higher level of public services. We may say without hesitation we have the best social programs in the world. These programs have without doubt contributed greatly to the fairness and quality of life enjoyed by all Canadians.

For this reason we must ensure everyone is paying his or her fair share of taxes. Again, the Liberal government has taken steps to ensure this is the case, first by enhancing enforcement efforts in the underground economy through increased audits and reporting requirements; and by eliminating tax advantages that do not meet the standards of fairness expected by all Canadians.

As Canada moves forward we have the duty to help Canadians better understand the value they receive for their dollars and how that value contributes to defining Canada as one of the best countries in the world.

We have to prove to Canadians their government is becoming more efficient. Canadians will expect us to balance the budget as well as lay out our vision for addressing the national debt. They want us to be frugal. They want us to end costly duplications in our programs.

I believe, as does my government, that Canadians want us to act, to show leadership and courage, to do what is needed while still maintaining the Liberal philosophy.

We must be successful. We must meet the expectations of Canadians. Only in this way will we achieve the stability and confidence level that Canada must enjoy to sustain economic growth, to meet the challenges of the 21st century and create lasting jobs.

I believe this can be achieved and I will continue to work with the finance committee, the government and, most important, with the input and help of my constituents to reach these important objectives.

[The Economy, December 4th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, my question is directed to the Minister of Finance.

The Standing Committee on Finance, of which I am a member, has been listening to Canadians' suggestions for the 1996 budget.

When will the minister appear before the committee to provide us with his views on the deficit problem and other economic issues? What message will he bring?

[Justice, November 22nd, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, crime prevention has always been one of our major goals. We all know that in order to prevent crime it is necessary to respond to the underlying social costs of criminal behaviour. Access to education and training are the essential elements from crime prevention.

Therefore, what is the government planning to do to promote involvement in the justice system?

[Missing Children, November 7th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, the city of Niagara Falls has proclaimed November 6 as a day celebrating the recovery of missing children.

In a ceremony on the Rainbow Bridge I accepted a plaque on behalf of the Minister of National Revenue and his staff at Canada Customs by the Independent Order of Foresters child print program. The non-profit organization accounts for over one million members in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom. Its involvement comprises a great number of projects geared to help families.

I congratulate publicly the IOF and the revenue department for their devotion to the protection of children. As parents, as community leaders and as concerned citizens, we understand that nothing causes more pain and anguish than a missing child.

The minister of revenue has committed his department to the cause, but when it comes to missing children, one is too many.

[Canadian Unity, October 19th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, in recent weeks many concerned Canadians in my riding of Niagara Falls and Niagara-on-the-Lake have been talking about the forthcoming referendum in Quebec and what it may mean for the future of our nation. Emotions are high and opinions have ranged from indignation to disbelief and even ambivalence. Many letters written from the heart call for Quebec to remain in Canada as a fundamental part of the Canadian family.

Yesterday a group of students from Niagara College wrote to the citizens of Quebec expressing their deeply held belief that it is the uniqueness of the people of Quebec that has helped Canada to become the greatest country in the world.

Let our greatness continue and our family remain united in harmony to work towards a better future for everyone.

Vive le Canada uni!

[Communities In Bloom, October 3rd, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, the Ontario Parks Association through its Communities in Bloom program has announced that Niagara-on-the-Lake, a town which I am proud to represent federally, has been named prettiest small town in Ontario.

Competing in the category for communities with a population of between 5,000 and 30,000, Niagara-on-the-Lake prevailed over places such as Coburg, Collingwood, Dryden and Elliot Lake.

What struck the judges was the originality of the town's landscaping. For this, much of the credit is due to the town's parks and recreation department and to its residents.

Now Niagara-on-the-Lake will be concentrating its efforts on achieving the national title, due to be announced in Ottawa next fall. This is calling for the active participation of the town's residents, who I am sure will rise to the challenge.

[Petitions, June 21st, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, I rise to present a petition on behalf of the federal representative for the riding of Welland-St. Catharines.

The petitioners oppose any amendments to the Canadian Human Rights Act or the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms which would tend to indicate societal approval of same sex relationships or of homosexuality, including amendments to the human rights code to include in the prohibited grounds of discrimination the undefined phrase sexual orientation.

The petition contains 38 signatures.