Canada Pension Plan  Mr. Speaker, I very much appreciate that New Democrats are supportive of this legislation. I think we share a lot in common. Workers today will benefit from this agreement that was achieved between the provinces and the leadership in this national government. Today we have Bill C-26, but there are other aspects of the pension program.

Canada Pension Plan  Madam Speaker, could I get the member to continue on with what he is saying specifically to a question about not helping our seniors today? This is a piece of legislation that would help workers of today and into the future for retirement. However, dealing with seniors today, what is going to help is the significant increase to the guaranteed income supplement, which will literally take thousands of seniors out of poverty as a direct result.

Canada Pension Plan  Madam Speaker, I would like to pose a more general question. Today, we are debating the issue of the Canada pension plan, but the Prime Minister has done more than just propose changing the CPP. There are three real foundations to our pension program. There is the CPP, which we are dealing with today.

Questions on the Order Paper  Mr. Speaker, I ask that all questions be allowed to stand.

Canada Pension Plan  Mr. Speaker, in listening to the speeches today about the CPP, it has become very obvious that everyone will understand why the Conservatives lost touch with Canadians. Canadians want to see a strong and healthy pension program, whether it is the GIS, the OAS, or the CPP. The Conservative Party still believes there is no room for improvement to the CPP, even though the provincial governments and many different stakeholders came to the table.

Canada Pension Plan  Mr. Speaker, I think it is important to reinforce that what we are really debating today is a historical moment in which the provinces came together under strong federal leadership to agree to increase the CPP for the betterment of working people today. I appreciate the comments by the member that we have to think that when people retire, they have a nest egg.

Canada Pension Plan  Mr. Speaker, today we are talking about the CPP and the importance of investing for the future. The member made reference to a young person and how the benefit will be there, but she also put a great deal of emphasis on poverty, and seniors in poverty. Would she acknowledge that in the last budget we saw a substantial increase for the guaranteed income supplement?

Canada Pension Plan  Mr. Speaker, I have had the opportunity over the years to table many petitions of what my constituents and, I would argue, all Canadians want to see, the stability and potential strengthening of our pensionable programs. I referring to the guaranteed income supplement, old age security, and what we are debating today, the CPP.

Canada Pension Plan  Mr. Speaker, when we look at the whole package in dealing with seniors, today we are talking about CPP and this historic agreement of the minister and this government with other provincial jurisdictions, which is good for CPP and good for future pensioners. We also saw through the cabinet issue dealing with the guaranteed income supplement that there is a substantial increase, especially for Canada's poorest of seniors.

Questions on the Order Paper  Mr. Speaker, I ask that all questions be allowed to stand.

Petitions  Mr. Speaker, I would like to table a petition signed by many. The petitioners state that Falun Gong is a traditional Chinese spiritual discipline that consists of meditation, exercise and moral teachings based on the principles of truthfulness, compassion and tolerance. In July 1999, the Chinese Communist Party launched an intensive nationwide persecution campaign to eradicate Falun Gong.

Canada Pension Plan  Mr. Speaker, why does the member believe the Conservative Party is right on this issue? Provincial governments came together in Vancouver and reached what I would call a historical agreement. This bill is in the best interests of the workers and Canadians, as a whole, are very supportive of it.

Canada Pension Plan  Mr. Speaker, one of the things that we know is very different, between the former Harper Conservative government and what this particular Prime Minister and the Government of Canada are trying to do here, is the issue of Canada's pension plan. The former government did not recognize and did not listen to what Canadians really and truly wanted.

Canada Pension Plan  Madam Speaker, if this is of concern to the member, I respect that. However, I can tell him that in order to get this bill before the House today, we had to have the agreement of the provinces in Canada. Obviously, there are many stakeholders in other government jurisdictions that are following the lead that has been demonstrated by this Prime Minister and government.

Canada Pension Plan  Madam Speaker, I will attempt to answer the question as best I can. We need to look at this. We have a bill dealing with one of Canada's top three pensionable issues, in this case the CPP. It is the working class of today who would benefit from this bill in a real and tangible way.