Madam Speaker, I will start with a comment. This week has been the most disappointing week of any I have spent in this House since my election in 1993-94.
The first reason for this is that we have had a very disappointing budget, and the public is worried, particularly in view of recent events. We were expecting a budget that would have reassured them and provided some measures to get the economy back on its feet.
No such budget was forthcoming. There is nothing for seniors, nothing for businesses, absolutely nothing at all. Nothing for women, for old people, nothing to deal with poverty. That is the first disappointment.
The second reason is that last Tuesday the House passed a bill originating in the other place, creating the position of parliamentary poet laureate. No one ever died of ridicule, fortunately, or we would have lost a number of our colleagues here in the House. This is totally scandalous.
When this becomes known, the Liberal government will have something to answer for. This is totally abhorrent; not one cent to help people, to provide them with some security in a time of economic downturn, and yet we have a bill to create a poet laureate for parliament. They are thumbing their noses at Canadians. It is not supposed to cost that much, a salary of $30,000 a year—