Jay Hill

[Divorce Act, February 14th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to direct some comments to the my hon. colleague's brief remarks on such important legislation.

Having met with a lot of parents who have gone through a divorce where children were involved, I have often equated that unfortunate development in people's lives to the loss of a child. However, our court system today promotes a very adversarial environment and it affects the children of divorce. I believe the hon. member said that the primary focus has to be on the well-being of the children, the unintended victims of marriage breakdown and divorce.

I have endeavoured to address this issue and the greater issue of co-parenting and access to children. It is assumed that while a marriage is intact that both parents are good parents. That is the assumption of society. It is the assumption that both parents are worthy of raising their children. However, on the breakdown of a marriage somehow that assumption is thrown out the window.

I have introduced private member's Bill C-242 which calls on the government to introduce a system of joint custody in all cases, except where it can be shown that it is not in the best interests of the child or in the case of documented evidence of abuse or neglect which would preclude joint custody. I believe this would go a long way toward removing the adversarial approach in our court system. I would like my hon. colleague to comment on that.

[Somalia Inquiry, February 13th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, perhaps the defence minister's helmet is a bit tight. Let us be very clear on what we are talking about here. We are asking about evidence that suggests a cover-up of a murder at the highest possible levels.

What does the government have to hide? Why is it afraid of the truth coming out?

[Somalia Inquiry, February 13th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, Justice Létourneau, not Reform, accused the Prime Minister and the defence minister of political interference.

He said that he did not know what the political motivations might be for the government shutting down the inquiry and whitewashing the truth. There was a murder, a cover-up of the investigation, a whitewash and now, a cover-up of the cover-up: all conducted under the very nose of the government.

What is the government trying to hide?

[Liberal Government, February 12th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to expose some myths the finance minister is likely to float in the con job due out next Tuesday.

Myth: Liberals did not increase taxes. Thirty-five tax increases totalling $25 billion in tax revenue increases in just four years.

Myth: Liberals, the defenders of medicare. A 40 per cent cut in medicare transfers to the provinces.

Myth: Liberals concerned about child poverty. Seven billion dollars in cuts for health, education and welfare.

Myth: Jobs, jobs, jobs. There are 1.5 million unemployed and two to three million underemployed, the worst record since the great depression.

Myth: Good times for all. Record bankruptcies and consumer debt.

Myth: Getting the federal House in order. At least $10 billion of new debt, $600 billion in total debt and 90 per cent spending cuts in downloading to the provinces.

What Canadians need is a fresh start.

[Excise Tax Act, February 11th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to have the opportunity to put a question to the hon. member.

He spoke long and eloquently about what makes sense and what does not make sense in our tax system. Therefore I would like to put to him a problem that has been presented to me as a member of Parliament, and I believe probably has come to all members of Parliament, and that is the problem doctors in Canada have experienced with the GST.

I would like to read in the little time I have from a submission that was made to me by Dr. Laurie Cook, a doctor in my riding in the city of Prince George. In his letter he states: "Enclosed is a copy of the Canadian Medical Association review of GST as regards physicians in private practice. My guess is that I have lost about $2,000 a year since 1991 as a result of GST paid but not recoverable".

In the submission from the CMA I note a couple of points. It states: "Doctors are not asking for special treatment. Doctors are asking to be treated like other self-employed Canadians and small businesses. If doctors or self-employed individuals are considered as small businesses for tax purposes it seems reasonable that doctors should have the same tax rules apply to them that apply to other small businesses. This is a question of fundamental fairness".

Further it states: "It is estimated that the 55,000 doctors employ up to 100,000 Canadians. Physicians play an important part in job creation. The effects of the GST and a proposed harmonized sales tax could have an effect on individuals employed by doctors".

In light of that, since the hon. member has spoken so long and eloquently about fairness in the tax system, I wonder what his feeling is about this particular issue. Will he support the doctors being zero rated for GST purposes?

[Excise Tax Act, February 11th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, I cannot understand the attitude of this member of Parliament. During his speech he suggested that the reason the Canadian people are so upset with the GST is, as he said, this in your face taxation

where they were aware of it every time they went to purchase something.

If that is how out of touch this member and his Liberal colleagues are with the Canadian people then they deserve to get turfed out of office, as I am sure they will following the next election.

The simple fact is Canadian people are upset with the GST because it is another tax and they are taxed to death. They are upset especially in light of the fact that there have been promises associated with the GST ever since the Tory government brought it in. At that time the Tories said that they would only use it to pay down the national debt. They would create a debt retirement fund and all the GST revenues would go into that. Canadians now know that is not true. That is not what happened.

Therefore, I would submit to the hon. member that he has completely missed the point concerning why Canadians are upset with the GST.

[Excise Tax Act, February 10th, 1997]

Not as glad as they will be about yours.

[Excise Tax Act, February 10th, 1997]

Your constituents cannot figure out 19 per cent either?

[Excise Tax Act, February 10th, 1997]

Are you saying that your constituents cannot figure out what 7 per cent is?

[Petitions, February 10th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure for me to present a petition on behalf of citizens

of northern British Columbia, many of whom reside in my riding of Prince George-Peace River.

The petitioners note that our NAFTA partners, Mexico and the U.S.A., are currently upgrading their national highways system. The petitioners call on Parliament to urge the federal government to join with provincial governments to upgrade our national highway system as soon as possible because they note it is substandard.