Paul Martin

[The Economy, March 22nd, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, most economists will tell us while there is no doubt that rising fuel prices do place undue impact on families, on those who are driving cars, that in fact the current situation is not inflationary. The output gap in Canada remains such that while we must always be vigilant about inflation, it is well within check.

[Gasoline Prices, March 21st, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, I can hardly believe my ears. The hon. member is talking about high interest rates. When we took office our interest rates were substantially above those of the United States. Today they are lower.

When we take a look at what the federal government has done in terms of its own debt, our debt has come down, the deficit has been eliminated and unemployment is down. This is a different country from the one we took over in 1993.

[Gasoline Prices, March 21st, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, I would congratulate the member for reminding the House that the excise tax is a product of his party in the previous government. I also want to congratulate the hon. member for finally coming to the realization of the problems that exist.

I want to congratulate the members of this caucus who for so long have been concerned about this particular issue.

[Gasoline Prices, March 21st, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member knows, while the Canadian government obviously does impose taxes on gasoline, the majority of those taxes are imposed by the provincial government. Before anybody looks at any taxes, both levels of government would obviously have to meet.

[Canada Savings Bonds, March 16th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is a member of the House of Commons finance committee. If he wishes to raise it there and the House of Commons finance committee would like to see the pertinent officials appear before it, I would more than delighted to comply.

[Canada Savings Bonds, March 16th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, as I indicated yesterday, there are a number of options which are being looked at in terms of the back office of the Canada savings plan, which is currently being administered by the Bank of Canada, such as merging it with a Department of Finance agency, outsourcing conceivably to the private sector, but also outsourcing possibly to Public Works and other government departments.

Fundamentally, the privatization of the entire situation is not being looked at. Outsourcing is certainly a possibility.

[Taxation, March 16th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member's question is very pertinent.

Brad Severin, who is an eminent Alberta tax accountant, has in fact confirmed the unfairness of the Alberta plan. He has said, for example, that in the year 2001 the taxpayer earning $65,000 a year will pay $170 more in taxes under Alberta's plan than under ours. As Mr. Severin says, it only gets worse as time goes by. By the year 2004 they will pay $440 more.

The question is: Why does—

[Canada Savings Bonds, March 15th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member ought to know that the Bank of Canada administers the Canada savings bonds. In fact the marketing is done by Canada Investment and Savings which is an agency of the Department of Finance.

What is being examined is whether the status quo should exist or that they might merge the two under the Department of Finance. I would simply remind the hon. member that the Department of Finance is part of the public sector of this country.

[Canada Savings Bonds, March 15th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to see the hon. member. I have not seen him since 6.30 this morning when he voted both ways on the clarity bill.

Let me say that decision has not been taken and it is not being contemplated.

[Health Care, March 1st, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, the first thing I would like to do is congratulate the hon. member on his choice of reading material. I would suggest to him that, instead of only looking at the index page, if he read the whole book it would do him an enormous amount of good.

I want to thank the hon. member as well. He has essentially pointed out that health care or medicare is a great heritage of the Liberal Party and we will protect it.