Mr. Speaker, it is very rare that as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance I actually want to jump to my feet to participate in a debate. After listening to the first half hour of debate, we have to bring a little intelligence and hard work to this debate, with the exception of the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry whose interventions were both intelligent and thoughtful.
There is an obligation in the House of Commons when we have these debates that the opposition brings to bear a different perspective than that of the government and does it through research, through common sense and through bringing to the attention of the House the concerns of their constituents.
I happen to know the city of St. Albert and I know how intelligent its voters are. The member who preceded this member is a very intelligent person from the Conservative Party and a very wise man. I am sure the people of St. Albert would want their member to bring to the House some facts and figures to support their case and not just sitting here and talking.
My hon. colleague behind me from Peterborough can tell the House, as he too, like myself, taught at a university. From our history departments, we all know that if we do not learn history we repeat the same mistakes of an earlier generation. In fact, the opposition is repeating so many mistakes that the former Prime Minister from Alberta was quoted in the papers this morning as saying that he thinks it will be quite easy for the Conservative Party to come back. When a party of one person or two people think they can overtake the new opposition it just shows everyone how weak they think it is let alone how we think it is.
Does the parliamentary secretary realize that this is the first opposition day offered up by the Reform Party since we have come back this year?