Madam Speaker, I thank my friend from Vegreville. On the matter of jobs he will know that independent statistics show that 433,000 new additional jobs have been created in the last year and a half.
On the matter of interest rates I would say to him kindly that he is less than honest if he gives the impression that a government of any stripe controls interest rates. As a government we can help create the climate but many elements outside the country determine interest rates.
Yes, the rates are high through no fault of the government. They came down a bit today because of forces outside of our control and his control. He mixes a number of items that are completely unrelated in my view.
If the members wants a yardstick he can look at the Statistics Canada figures which show that Canada's unemployment rate is the lowest in eight years. We must be doing something right.