Mr. Speaker, I would like to say to the hon. member for Saint-Boniface that if we were smiling on this side, it is simply because we are always astonished to see how a government member can turn a deaf ear to politics with a small "p", as the Leader of the Opposition said earlier.
When the hon. member says that we have found no positive elements in the budget, it is not true. I wish he had understood or listened completely to the speech that the leader of the Official Opposition gave earlier. My friend would have seen that the hon. member for Lac-Saint-Jean referred to some positive things. However, this budget does not go far enough. It contains inequities, and I will mention only three to the hon. member for Saint-Boniface because my time is limited.
The member for St. Boniface says he saw nothing unequitable or unfair in this budget. First, does he think it is fair to cut $32 million from subsidies paid to Quebec farmers and dairy farmers and to give western farmers $2.9 billion to compensate them for cuts that are, relatively speaking, identical? Does he think such a cut is fair? He also mentioned family trusts. Is it fair to wait until 1999 to take action in this area?
By 1999, there will be no more money in family trusts. Those persons will have found other tax shelters to protect themselves. The budget should have addressed this issue immediately.
Finally, does the member think it is normal that banks, among others, be taxed a mere hundred million dollars when a single bank, the Royal Bank, made more than $1.2 billion in profits last year? Is it normal? Is it fair? I would like to hear what the member for St. Boniface has to say on those issues.
By the way, the member for St. Boniface quoted headlines from some newspapers in his riding. I suppose he should have, as a French speaking member, chosen at least a few headlines from French newspapers in his riding. I do not know. Maybe francophones are less well served in his province than in Quebec.