Mr. Speaker, once again the federal government is the last to catch the winds of change.
Canadians from coast to coast are calling for the government to deal with the issues that are truly important. At the top of the list in every region of the country are balanced budgets and tax relief.
The provincial governments are answering the call. Nine have balanced their budgets or plan to do so. A number have developed debt repayment schedules just as Canadian families would pay off a mortgage. By doing so these governments are also putting themselves in a position to offer tax relief in the near future.
The message is clear. Canadians are now holding their elected officials to higher fiscal standards than ever before and the litmus test they are applying is a balanced budget plan. It is telling that there are only two governments in all Canada which fail this test: the separatist government in Quebec and the Liberal government in Ottawa.