Paul Martin

[Health, June 9th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, between 1993 and 1998, in cumulative terms, the value of tax points increased by $2.1 billion in Quebec alone. Equalization payments increased by $1 billion, and the drop in interest rates should enable Quebec alone to save $1.4 billion in debt servicing. That is how things stand.

[Tobacco, June 4th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, the government has made it very clear that it is desirous of increasing taxes on cigarettes and it is certainly prepared to do so. It would require an agreement between the federal government and the provinces, including the Conservative government of Ontario. We are prepared to do so as quickly as we possibly can. The provinces, however, have said to us that they do not want any risk of increasing contraband. We understand their position, but we are talking to them.

[Employment Insurance, June 2nd, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member must know that, in addition to enjoying a $500,000 capital gain exemption, small and medium size businesses also have a lower level of taxation than major corporations in Canada and their counterparts in the United States.

There is also the research and development tax credits. All these initiatives are designed to help small and medium size businesses create jobs.

[Employment Insurance, June 2nd, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, I will tell you what the voices are telling me, and that is that it is all right for the member for Medicine Hat to change his mind. After all, this was written before the marriage with the Bloc.

[Employment Insurance, June 2nd, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, if I might, let me tell you what I think the question really is.

Let me quote from the taxpayers' budget of the Reform Party: “To ensure that savings from the reform of UI translate into deficit elimination the Reform Party recommends the establishment of a permanent reserve fund for UI”. It goes on to say: “Funds from this reserve would be applied against the deficit”. Why the flip-flop?

[Employment Insurance, June 2nd, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, it is a bit hard to understand how a member can rise here in this House and speak in favour of raising seniors' taxes, raising the taxes of self-employed workers, raising the taxes on small and medium sized businesses.

The Bloc Quebecois position is simply ridiculous.

[Employment Insurance, June 2nd, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, is it a bad choice to decrease the taxes of 83% of Canadians? Is it a bad choice to decrease the taxes of the self-employed? Is it a bad choice to lower taxes for those on fixed incomes, for seniors? I think not.

[Employment Insurance, May 28th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member should tell us his choices. Is he opposed to the fact that we abolished personal income tax for 400,000 individuals? Is he opposed to the fact that we created a national child benefit? Is he opposed to the fact that we transferred an extra $1.5 billion to the provinces?

Is he opposed to the fact that we eliminated the deficit and that interest rates are going down so that Canadians will be able to afford homes and cars? Is he opposed to the policies of this government to help Canadians?

[Employment Insurance, May 28th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, all government revenues, whether contributions to the EI fund, contributions coming in forms of sales taxes or personal taxes, they all belong to the people of Canada.

[Employment Insurance, May 28th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, I do not think that the choices are tough at all. In fact last year we had the second largest reduction in the EI premiums in the history of the country, tax cuts for 83% of Canadians, $1.5 billion going back into the CHST and the elimination of the deficit.

I do not find that a difficult choice. I find that good government.