Mr. Speaker, as I have on numerous occasions in this place, let me make very clear to my friend across the way that I do not come from central Canada. I come from western Canada. I happen to be the member of Parliament for Kenora-Rainy River, which is in a vast riding in northern Ontario. It is on central time and is so close to Winnipeg we have very western ideas. The riding has been voting Liberal long before I was alive and, yes, there was a Reform candidate who ran in my riding. He was lucky to get his deposit back, the lucky soul that he was.
I can assure this House that my riding, being of very western flavour, believing very strongly in Canada's social programs and fabric, would not have been voting Liberal since the turn of the century if it did not believe in Liberal principles.
If this budget, as is being suggested by the member, were not a Liberal budget I would have heard about it first and foremost in my riding because my riding, as I said, only voted one other way in its history and that was when it lost its way in 1984 when everybody was foolish enough to vote Tory and it went with the
NDP. I can assure members that my constituents learned their lesson that one time and now have gone back to the Liberal fold.
I have received five phone calls on the budget from people who were concerned about social programs. The remainder of the people in my riding have called to say this is a great budget because it sends us down the track. It also recognizes that we did not get into the mess in three years, like the Reform Party seems to suggest, and we will not get out of it in three years as it suggests.
It took us 20 years to get into it and it will take us some time to get out of it. We should use our good, common sense and not tear and gut the heart and soul out of Canada by doing that, but take our time and restructure the economy the way it should be restructured.