Madam Speaker, the member makes a lot of sense. If the member had included it in his original speech then my comments would not have come forward that way. I will say again that it is incumbent upon all of us to make sure the Canadian public understands that progress is being made on restructuring government.
We are as chagrined as the next person about the high cost each Canadian faces with the debt. When I stand in the House to ask permission to borrow $28.9 billion, it is not done with a lot of glee. This is a tremendous burden we are adding. We understand that.
Last year I believe we asked for $32.3 billion. It shows that we are making progress. Our demands on the international markets are becoming less each year. In this view, we are making real progress without causing widespread grief and harm.
I do not know if members have had a chance to look at the newspaper today, but looking at the public opinion polls, Canadians have been willing to accept a tough budget. We presented a tough budget and their reaction is very supportive.
The opposition parties should understand and appreciate the willingness of Canadians to participate in such an exercise, including the tax issues and so forth. I am very proud with the way the government is in sync with the Canadian population.