Mr. Speaker, since my riding is Cumberland-Colchester in that great province of Nova Scotia, which is classified as a maritime province, and since the hon. member has just referred to us on several occasions I believe it is important that I express some of the views that business in the maritime provinces has expressed to me on Bill C-17 and our budget.
In Nova Scotia we have some 90,000 small businesses employing fewer than 50 persons each. We have a population of just under 900,000. That is a one to nine ratio of small business to population. Those business people have said to me: "If we could only reduce payroll taxes, UI premiums, if we could only reduce worker's compensation and those things that impede taking on more employees, then we could take care of job creation". This is the message that small business has sent to me as a member of Parliament representing the maritime provinces.
I suggest that it is small business in the great province of Nova Scotia that will do more to create jobs. By doing our part by dealing with some of the payroll taxes we are doing the most to stimulate economic growth and jobs in the business sector.