Excise Tax Act  The government should be listening to people who think about these things, like the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, the Canadian Labour Congress, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, all of whom say that the hidden tax should be withdrawn. Is it not interesting that way back in 1990 the now minister of defence rose in this House as a Liberal finance critic, attacked the government's GST bill and said that this tax should be withdrawn.

Bell Canada Act  What a poor message to be sending to an economy that wants nothing more than to get back on track. In its press release of September 11, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business indicated that the Bell Canada telephone company had justified its application by alleging that small businesses outside Montreal and Toronto were subsidized and, therefore, not paying their fair share of the real costs of such lines.

Excise Tax Act  This is a huge blow to Atlantic retailers'', said Peter Woolford, senior vice-president of the council.Retail profits average about 2 per cent of sales'', he said, and this is going to cut even further into those narrow margins. Mr. O'Brien, Atlantic director for the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, said that in the case of one magazine store in Halifax, the owner will have to change the prices on as many as 8,500 journals a week. We are not talking about some megabusiness but about one small business owner who will have to change the prices on 8,500 journals a week.

Program Cost Declaration Act  Right now there is every indication that there is something lacking when we talk about an underground economy. According to some estimates by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business we are losing somewhere in the order of as much as $100 billion a year because people are looking for alternatives. Some people have low faith in the system and the way their tax money is dealt with that they believe the best way to get around it is to cheat the system.

Bell Canada Act  The government is killing entrepreneurship by playing a part in such decisions. This is a serious matter. The Quebec vice-president of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, Mr. Cléroux, condemned this decision made last spring regarding small businesses in rural communities. He said the situation of a number of these businesses is precarious, adding that such an increase would adversely affect their performance and could even threaten their survival.

Employment Insurance  Given the government has a $5 billion surplus in the UI fund, why will the government not give an immediate 28 per cent to 30 per cent reduction in the UI tax rate as recommended by the Reform Party and the Canadian Federation of Independent Business so that businesses can help stimulate the economy, help stimulate job creation and help business create those jobs that the government promised?

Taxation  Most small businesses will say they are constantly tripping over tax auditors from either the federal government or provincial governments, which is why the Canadian Federation of Independent Business supports harmonization. The Canadian Association of Chartered Accountants has said it will save business over $500 million a year, which is in fact a modest assessment.

Taxation  Harmonization is the reason the Canadian Manufacturers Association supports it, the reason the Canadian Chamber of Commerce supports it and the reason the Retail Sales Council supports it. The fact is it is the reason the Canadian Federation of Independent Business supports it. Everybody out there wants to create jobs and wants to support harmonization. When will the minister wake up and smell the roses?

Supply  Even worse, it is enough to make them silent. The Reform Party document goes on: John F. Bulloch from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business put the harmonization issue into stark terms when he said on March 8, 1994: "-you do not have a technical problem. There is nothing that is not known about this tax.

Budget Implementation Act, 1996  It is important that all Canadians not only understand when a balanced budget will be realized but also when surpluses will be created to facilitate tax reductions, systemic debt retirement and greater flexibility with our important social programs. From Catherine Swift, president of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business: If we are going to see some enduring job creation and not just some political quick fixes like some of our youth initiatives, then we have to see a reduction in taxation on jobs, and we did not see that in this budget.

Employment Insurance Act  The new employment insurance plan will be good for business. So do many of the business people we heard from. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business indicated to the Standing Committee on Human Resources Development that employers are supportive of the overriding purpose of the bill to help encourage unemployed Canadians to get meaningful employment.

Agreement On Internal Trade Implementation Act  We have had representations from many leading business groups such as the Chamber of Commerce, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, the Canadian Construction Association and the Canadian Manufacturers' Association, to name a few. It is important to point out this is not just big business speaking out.

Merit  Generally, large businesses have inaugurated pay equity programs, but this is far from being the case for smaller ones. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business is recommending, even to the Harris government in Ontario, an increase from 10 to 50 in the number of employees a business may have before it is obliged to establish an employment equity program.

Employment Insurance Act  While the Minister of Finance has assumed a $2.90 rate in 1997-I hope it is much less than that-for planning purposes in the last budget, the actual rate will be set at the end of this year. As well, as stated by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, about 30 per cent of their membership, small and medium sized businesses, will also benefit from the premium reductions associated with the reduction in the maximum insurable earnings.

Taxation  Jim Moore of the Canadian Exporters Association, one of the experts in the field, said: "Obviously it could [create jobs] when you are competing at a level where a 1 per cent difference on a product can make the difference between a sale and a non-sale". He is basically saying it will increase our exports. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business and the Canadian Manufacturers Association say harmonization will enhance competitiveness for manufacturers and exporters as well as create a simpler and more efficient tax system.