Mr. Speaker, the hon. member for Okanagan Centre opened up his debate by questioning our 3 per cent GDP target and spent almost 70 per cent of his time wondering whether we would achieve that 3 per cent GDP target.
In his preamble the hon. member stated that the 3 per cent GDP target was arrived at by looking at an area on the map of the world because of geography, demographics and natural resources. It seems to me those same criteria apply even more so to Canada.
In 1993 in terms of objectives, there was a party that had zero in five, another party that had zero in three, and another party that had three in three. Canadians spoke and said that a target of 3 per cent of GDP was acceptable to them.
I question the whole approach of the Reform Party today. Whenever we talk about the deficit, with each dollar we look at there is always one aspect we must remember as parliamentarians: there is a person, a human being behind that dollar. We are going to touch every single human being with the decisions we make.
Yes, a 3 per cent GDP target may not be ambitious for financial institutions and others, but it is an interim target. It is something Canadians can hold on to dearly. Even if we achieve that target the Minister of Finance in his address to the finance committee admitted publicly that we must strive for the day when we will have a balanced budget.
I ask the hon. member where in his party's platform do they see that compassion, that understanding for the human face that is behind every dollar? Their proposals go after the weakest provinces, after those on welfare, after the unemployed and after seniors. We must show compassion, as the hon. member said.