Eric C. Lowther

[Witness Protection Program Act, November 26th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I will use the two minutes remaining to quickly clarify some of the things that were spoken about this afternoon.

There has been some discussion about whether or not we need this bill. Let me clarify what the hon. member from Prince George is attempting to to with the bill.

This bill on the RCMP witness protection program serves as a last ditch safety net for spouses in cases where counselling and criminal law measures have proved ineffective, with the result that their very lives are in danger. Special protection is allowed for witnesses who are in jeopardy because of involvement in police activity but interestingly enough, we do not have any vehicle for spouses to access that same protection. We can protect witnesses but not spouses who are subject to violent abuse. The addition in this bill would allow spouses to access that kind of protection.

I appeal to the House. We have heard some people say that we do need this bill and others say we do not need it. Clearly we do need it and I support the bill. The best thing we can do when this comes to a vote, which it will, is to pass the bill, get it into committee and get this clarified so that we do not leave the door open for more harm and damage to families and spouses.

[Petitions, November 26th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present a petition with thousands of signatures on the issue of child pornography.

The petitioners are calling on the House to ensure that every law is upheld that would continue to make child pornography a serious offence in this country. Literally hundreds of thousands of signatures have come to my office on this. I am glad to present the petition to the House today.

I encourage all members to take note that this is clearly the single largest petition. I think it is four times larger than any other petition the House has received this session. I will leave it with the House officers.

[Taxation, November 26th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, many people do not realize that over half of the price of gasoline is taxes. For example, Calgarians send $300 million to Ottawa every year in gasoline taxes, but none of it comes back to pay for roads. The Liberal government simply takes the money and offloads the costs for transportation to others.

Why is the government across the way so willing to scoop the tax at the gasoline pumps but give nothing back in return?

[Gasoline Pricing, November 25th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, Canadian consumers have heard reports that they may be paying 80 cents per litre for gas by Christmas because of rising oil prices. Something has been overlooked in the whole equation, the fact that roughly half the cost of a litre of gas is made up of taxes.

On August 26 my Calgary caucus colleagues and I handed out Ottawa gas tax bucks to Calgary residents filling their tanks. They were surprised to find that Ottawa takes $300 million in gasoline taxes from Calgarians and nothing comes back to Calgary to help with its transportation challenges.

From municipalities across the nation Ottawa takes in $4 billion a year in fuel taxes but less than six cents on the dollar go to highway renewal. The rest goes to more big government.

Municipalities like Calgary send billions in tax dollars to Ottawa and never see them again while they are forced to raise property taxes to pay the bills for maintenance of communities where overtaxed Canadians live. Calgarians want—

[Elections Canada, November 2nd, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, as one parent puts it, this is not a rights vote. It is not about teaching democracy. It is about using students as pawns in a political process.

Government departments are spending half a million dollars on this intrusive exercise which politicizes kids and the Liberal caucus plans to use it for self-promotion.

Why is the federal government invading our schools, politicizing our children and using kids for shameless self-promotion?

[Elections Canada, November 2nd, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, we know that the results of this exercise are going to be presented to the Prime Minister's office and the government.

As one parent has put it, this rights vote is not about teaching democracy. It is about using students—

[Elections Canada, November 2nd, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are using children for their own political purposes.

Elections Canada is asking children as young as six years old to vote for their favourite right. Parents and school boards concerned about the politicizing of children have rejected this intrusion. Now government documents ask where the government can get the most mileage out of this. Liberal senators are encouraging MPs to be in their ridings on the day of the vote, presumably for self-promotion.

Why is the government using our children and Elections Canada for its own crass, political purposes?

[Nisga'A Final Agreement Act, November 1st, 1999]

Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. We are debating the Nisga'a agreement. The member continues to take the debate in a different direction. If he would like to offer his comments on the issue being debated today, great. However, I submit that he is on a whole different tangent.

[Criminal Code, November 1st, 1999]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-291, an act to amend the Criminal Code (prohibited sexual acts).

Mr. Speaker, in light of current events in this country and the Liberal government lowering the age for sexual consent to 14 years, this bill is needed.

The bill would prohibit sexual acts committed with children or in the presence of children under the age of 16. It would effectively raise the age of consent for sexual activity from 14 to 16 years, which is a start in the right direction.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

[Income Tax Act, November 1st, 1999]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-289, an act to amend the Income Tax Act (child adoption expenses).

Mr. Speaker, this is a very exciting bill that has had broad support across the country.

This bill would allow those who wished to adopt children to tax deduct up to $7,000 of the expenses that are directly applicable to adopting children in this country of many parents who want to adopt and many children who want to be adopted. This is one vehicle that would help that process come to fruition and it would benefit our kids.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)