Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for the question. It is a very legitimate and important question that one would ask of a minister.
My colleague is quite right in making representations to me on the issue. However, I say to him as I say to all members, difficult decisions had to be made by the government relating to the reduction of expenditures.
In the riding adjacent to mine that members refer to quite often as being my district but really is not, we closed the office as well. I do not take any joy as the minister responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing for having to shut down offices.
Administratively it is important that Canada Mortgage and Housing make those kinds of decisions in order that we can contribute to bringing down the deficit of the Government of Canada. I have had numerous meetings with my colleague the Minister of Finance who did not cherish the fact that we had to reduce those offices.
I want to tell my colleague opposite that his constituents, which he ably represents, will still have the services of representatives from Canada Mortgage and Housing from neighbouring communities.
Notwithstanding reductions at Canada Mortgage and Housing, I received no less than seven or eight interventions from his party. I thought he was to congratulate me on the rent geared to income which was rumoured to go from 25 per cent to 30 per cent. The Minister of Finance and the cabinet have maintained it at 25 per cent.
On the one hand it was difficult to close the office in his constituency. He will still receive quality service from neighbouring communities. On the other hand we have been fair. We have not increased the rent geared to income for those citizens who are occupying our social housing units across the country.