Social Security System  Mr. Speaker, I was interested in the comments of the hon. member for Dartmouth. I think we have a socialist in Liberal clothing over there. He talks about his belief in the state's responsibility to redistribute wealth. Those are the policies of my friends and colleagues who sit behind me as independents because their party was annihilated during the last election.

Social Security System  To hear some members of this House, you would think there were no poor people in Canada. I think we should not introduce reforms at the expense of the neediest in this country, and I would ask the hon. member to give us his views on the subject.

Social Security System  Mr. Speaker, I do not think we are beginning the reform on the backs of the disadvantaged. The direction of my speech was to ask that those who are able to take care of themselves should look after themselves and raise their own money. I think that applies right across the board.

Social Security System  Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for Quebec for the fine speech she made. However I found some inconsistencies in it. She stated it is completely unacceptable for the Canadian government to offload programs on to the provinces. At the same time she said the day care situation in Quebec will not be resolved unless the province of Quebec is left to do it on its own.

Social Security System  Mr. Speaker, I do congratulate the hon. member for her address. She brought a lot of passion and eloquence to her delivery today. I am just a little bit confused in my own mind and would like some clarification with respect to the statements from the member for Burin-St. George's.

Social Security System  Mr. Speaker, I listened intently to the speech given by the hon. member. I enjoyed it very much, although for a while I wondered if he was talking about buzzwords and Newfie jokes more than the problem at hand. However, he did mention at one stage rationalization being a bad word that meant terrible things.

Social Security System  We come from different perspectives. We come from different solitudes. It is one thing if one is the leader of the Reform Party and one's riding of Calgary Southwest has an average family income of $49,000 or the newly independent gentleman from Markham-Whitchurch-Stouffville who comes from a riding that has the highest family income in Canada, $58,800.

Social Security System  They are telling us to go this way and they are telling us to go that way. Yet I hear the Reform Party say: "No, our constituents are of one mind. They are of one opinion. They are monolithic". That is baloney and I think they have to come to grips with that. I want you to respond to that.

Social Security System  Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his comments. I agree that the middle class is maintaining a burden of what is happening in the tax load of our country. We are losing our best brains, our best job producers because of poor economic policies here. I would take it a step further.

Social Security System  I thank the hon. member for his kind comments and question. As I have stated Canadians do feel they are being overtaxed. What the hon. member has expressed is a very real concern of an ordinary Canadian: Why is it that I have a burden whereas it seems other people do not, perhaps even the most wealthy.

Social Security System  Mr. Speaker, on behalf of our caucus co-ordinator I would like to advise the House that our party will be dividing the speaking time in accordance with Standing Order 43. It is with a great deal of pride that I stand to give my first address here today as I join with my fellow MPs in this place of history and decision.

Social Security System  Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate the member for Lévis for his fine speech. I noticed his concern for the need to create jobs. He said there are about 45,000 jobs that had to be created in the province of Quebec to help the young people there. A great social cost is being handed from generation to generation as these people lose hope and motivation.

Social Security System  Mr. Speaker, congratulations again to the member for Souris-Moose Mountain on an excellent speech. I notice his real concern for the families and the young children of this nation. His concern is that there are so many families with single parents and the fact that their incomes are low.

Social Security System  It brought back vivid memories of the election campaign last fall when underlying many of the public meetings we had in our riding were questions about the future of our health system under a regime which might include Reform Party proposals. I would ask the member to tell this House if he really believes that weakening in any way the Canada Health Act, in any way dismantling the thrust and the strength of that legislation to protect this country, that we can put our full faith in the provinces to maintain a national system.

Social Security System  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member for his comment. As the elected members of the provincial legislatures are answerable to the Canadian public it would be political suicide for them to create a health care situation where the people who elected them to office would suffer.