Elizabeth May: Mr. Speaker, apropos of the environmental theme of my friend from Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound’s speech, I want to thank him again for his private member’s bill that banned bulk water exports, one of the best pieces of legislation since I have been elected. However, I have to disagree with him about Bill C-31.
This omnibus budget bill is not just large and complex because the economic problems are complex, as he suggests, but actually because it has become all too common. I think it is an affront to Parliament and an affront to democracy.
This administration has chosen to throw in things that have nothing to do with the budget, things such as adding additional judges to Alberta and Quebec. That is something I support, but it does not belong in a budget bill. There are changes to trademark law; changes to the Hazardous Products Act and to the workplace hazardous chemicals regime; and substantial and devastating and anti-constitutional provisions under the Foreign Accounts Tax Compliance Act, known as FATCA.
I would ask him if he would not be willing, within his own caucus on that side, to argue against the use of such monster bills in the future?
Larry Miller: Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague across the way for her question, for her kind comments on my private member’s bill that went through the House unanimously, and for her support on that.
We ran on a commitment to do a lot of things. If she were fair and would express honestly, she would agree with my next comment. At the end of the day, it would not matter what we had in our budget, the folks across the way would be more than likely to vote against it. That is what opposition does, which is unfortunate in this place, but it is the way it is.
The things we have in the bill are very important to Canadians and our economy, and I fully support them.