Rob Anders

[Supply, February 13th, 1998]

Now you are bragging about tax increases.

[Supply, February 13th, 1998]

Thirty-eight tax raises.

[Supply, February 13th, 1998]

Why don't you brag about raising taxes 38 times?

[Canadian Wheat Board Act, February 12th, 1998]

Madam Speaker, I was not going to speak on this bill today, but when I heard some of the debate that was going on I felt implored to do so.

I used to work for the National Citizens Coalition. I talk to the people at home, because I realized they may be the only ones listening. I remember when Andy McMechan's wife would call us at the National Citizens Coalition and tell us about how her husband was in shackles and in jail because he tried to sell his wheat independently.

As a result, they were facing financial hardship. They were going to lose their family farm. She called in desperation to David Somerville and the rest of us at the National Citizens Coalition to ask us to help cover their bills. They faced thousands of dollars in fines. Their tractors and their trucks were seized. Her husband was in jail. She had no one to turn to for help, simply because her husband wanted to market his grain independently. There was no wheat board to turn to because the wheat board was enforcing the monopoly.

I have heard members opposite say they do not like monopolies. They think monopolies are bad. However, they support a monopoly which is state sanctioned.

It is not just Andy McMechan. There are other farmers out there who have had their properties seized. Their abilities to conduct their business and to put food on the table for their families have been restricted by these policies.

Members are standing in the House today to say they are proud of this bill when they know that some of their constituents, people on the prairies and grain marketers, are in jail, in shackles, facing tens of thousands of dollars in fines.

Most of the time I am honoured to stand in this House to represent the people of Calgary West. However, today we are considering passing a bill which would entrench in law expanded powers for the wheat board. Its new powers would go beyond the control of wheat, to oats, barley, flax and other crops. I am not proud of what this House is about to do. The government is going to expand the powers of the wheat board and put more grains under its control.

It boils down to free choice. Andy McMechan was not allowed the free choice to market his grain independent of the wheat board. As a result he was deprived of his ability to put food on the table for his family. He was fighting for the right, as were the other farmers who faced these restrictions, to have voluntary compliance with the board. If they want to market their grain through the wheat board, that is fine. But they had no other option. They were put in jail and faced fines. Their wives and their families were so desperate that they had to turn to non-government organizations for help.

It is unbelievable that we have that going on in this country. That they will not allow for free competition, that they are encouraging a legislated monopoly, and I heard another member say it today, indicates just how poorly run this monopoly is.

They talk across the way about how, during the 1920s and 1930s, there were private monopolies. No person who supports free competition supports a monopoly of any kind, whether it be government or private. For them to go ahead and support the idea of a government monopoly that can put people in jail for wanting to market their grain independently, I do not know how they can sleep at night when they back something like that.

I think in many ways, and this is unfortunate, it speaks to the arrogance, to the elitism and to just how out of touch how many of the people who stand and represent constituents in this Chamber are. They can support a bill that would jail their fellow citizens for wanting to market their grain independently. Like I say, it is not a proud day when I have to stand and speak to this.

I implore the people across the way, because they are the only ones who can really make changes at this stage. They have the narrowest majority of any government during this century aside from coalition governments. For those who may be watching in their offices who represent rural constituencies and who know that vast chunks of their electorate do not support a monopoly bargaining on behalf of the Canada Wheat Board, please I implore them, they have no better opportunity than in this bill here to stand up for their constituents and to not merely read off of ministerial talking points and to represent their constituents and come clean on this. Otherwise they will have to go back to face their electorate in the next election.

They have an opportunity here that few governments and few backbenchers in governments are ever afforded and they have a real opportunity to stand up and make a meaningful contribution. If they do not take this opportunity, shame on them.

For the folks back home, expanding jurisdiction basically means that the government wants to expand beyond the wheat board and be able to go into things like canola and flax and oats and barley. A government never asks for power unless it intends to exercise it. This means it hopes to rule out competition on these products like canola, flax, oats and barley. It intends to expand this monopoly beyond wheat and take it to these other grains. Therefore it will be impacting far more farmers than what the wheat board already does.

Once again, they have an incredible opportunity here to help out and to safeguard those farming operations across Canada. They owe it to them to stand up and stand for freedom on this.

Some people across the way speak of democracy and yet they forget about minority rights. Just because 50% plus 1 of people decide they happen to be in favour on one particular plebiscite does not speak to minority rights. The only time we must have a democracy and where people must follow one rule is when you can have only one rule.

It would not be fair, for instance, for one person to say they have to pay only 10% tax and another person to say they thought it was appropriate to pay 20% tax. You have to have something that is straight across the board, an even keel for all. Certainly in terms of a marketing organization for grain, you do not need to have everybody within one board. They should be allowed to have dissenting opinions.

For those farmers who wish to market through the Canadian Wheat Board, God bless them in their pursuit, but how can others legitimately say they wish to see their neighbour jailed, put behind bars, their equipment seized, and fines of tens of thousands of dollars placed against their operations because they want to operate outside the board? I am not proud today, knowing this type of legislation may pass in this House.

Also, I speak to the fact that the auditor general cannot have access to audit the Canadian Wheat Board. If you add up all these incriminations, that people are going to jail for wanting to market their grain independently, that the auditor general cannot look into the books, that they are encouraging a government monopoly, all these things, I implore backbench MPs in the Liberal Party, please, they have an opportunity to stand up against this. If only a handful were to take a stand in their caucus they could seriously change and amend this legislation.

[Senate Of Canada, February 11th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, we have tried everything to get Senator Andy Thompson to show up for work. We even threw a welcome party to make him feel more at home in Ottawa: a mariachi band, a little la bamba and even some nice hot burritos; but for the 448th time Senator Thompson stood us up.

There is one person who can solve the Senate problem: the prime minister. He can hit the Senate pinata with one blow if he recognizes Senate elections. The prime minister needs to pull off his blindfold so he can see what Canadians want from Andy and his Senate muchachas.

No more lying sedate. We want them to debate.

No more endless vacation. We want representation.

No more tropical showers. We want office hours.

No more beachside recreation. We want them to review legislation.

No more lying on a cot. We want some sober second thought.

No more shopping in Mexico City. We want them on a subcommittee.

No more playing and straying all day. We want them all to earn their pay.

[Senate Of Canada, February 10th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, what a month for Senator Andy Thompson. He suffered through his own ice storm when he spilled his pina colada while doing the macarena. To make matters worse, he had to trade in the cocoa butter for a winter coat so he could show up for work in the frosty north.

Hundreds of Canadians have told me in writing that they want this mucho grande Senate to end. They want to choose who represents them in the upper house.

We do not have to live with these absentee amigos. The prime minister can choose today. He can respect the will of Canadians and recognize senate elections or he can continue to appoint Liberal cucarachas to the Senate.

[Fisheries, February 6th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians need to know how many fish foreigners are taking from our waters. That is not a private matter.

What is the minister hiding? Will the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans hand over these documents today, or has Larry Murray brought the culture of cover-up to the DFO?

[Fisheries, February 6th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, the fisheries committee has repeatedly asked the Department of Fisheries and Oceans for foreign observer documents but the DFO refuses to hand them over.

Why? Remember Larry Murray from the Somalia cover-up. Murray now works for the DFO.

Is the minister hanging on to foreign observer documents until Murray warms up the Somalia shredder?

[Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, February 5th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals spend hundreds of millions of dollars each year on the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, supposedly to employ Atlantic Canadians. But I was shocked to learn that this agency is funding the ocean management and training company where the Canadian workers have just been ditched in favour of hiring foreign workers.

My question is for the Minister of Human Resources Development or the Minister of Industry, whoever is the most proud. Is this the latest Liberal brainwave to create jobs in Atlantic Canada? Is this the best they can do?

[The Senate, December 10th, 1997]

So much for Liberal election promises, Mr. Speaker.

The Senate is less accountable than ever. Andrew Thompson is tanning his dog down in Mexico and Trevor Eyton is not paying his $120 no-show penalty even though he is a no-show.

My question is very specific, so listen carefully. If Alberta holds a Senate election during the province-wide municipal elections of October 1998, will the prime minister listen to Albertans and place their democratically chosen candidate in the Senate when the next Alberta vacancy comes up?