It's easy when there are three, and there are zero.
There are currently eight women in the Conservative shadow critic roles—eight. Prime Minister Harper had six ministers out of 26 in 2006 and 12 out of 39 in 2013—I have Google, too—so let's talk about what this budget actually means for women, despite the hypocrisy coming from the other side over there.
Is parental leave enhancement so that women can get back into the workforce about buying votes from women, or is that about creating greater flexibility for women in the workforce? What about the funding and the carve-outs supporting women entrepreneurs? Do the Conservatives believe that is buying votes? I guess they don't really know the supports that women need since they clearly don't see a role for a woman on the finance committee. What about women in trades? Is that important to the economy and to women?
Perhaps, Minister, you can speak about the actual proposals in this budget and why you felt they were needed now. We can all go back to the dark ages of the Harper Conservatives, but that hasn't helped women, so can you talk about what the future holds for women? We all have to acknowledge that this isn't the end, but certainly some of the proposals in this budget are meant not only to stimulate the economy but also to help women get into the workforce.
I want to bring up one line that I mentioned in my delegations to my local councils when I spoke about the budget. It was said in this budget that the issue of women in the economy is not just a moral issue but an economic issue to be seized. The previous Conservatives and the current Conservatives didn't bother to seize that moment. Can you talk about why you are?