Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House today to congratulate the finance minister for a budget that keeps Canadian small businesses competitive.
In my riding of Parry Sound-Muskoka as in the rest of the country, small business ventures are often the key to the economy. This budget encourages small business growth. It encourages job creation. It encourages prosperity.
The recent budget is but one part of our government's strategy of jobs and growth. It is already paying dividends. Let us look at some examples.
First, the value of manufacturing shipments was $33.1 billion in January, up 25 per cent in just one year. Second, Statistics Canada's index of leading economic indicators, a measure of future economic growth, was up .5 per cent in February. Third, the manufacturing sector in February created over 53,000 new jobs.
We have, as a government, been successful in creating a climate in which small business can create jobs for Canadians. The minister's budget will accelerate-