Mr. Speaker, we just heard the Minister of Finance, the one person responsible for cuts in this government. He was the one who cut unemployment insurance, social programs and transfer payments. Then he has the nerve to tell us: "In the budget speech, one can see that the government does not intend to impose anything on the provinces". Has he forgotten already that he cut social programs and education by seven billion dollars for the next three years? It takes some nerve, Mr. Speaker.
It takes nerve also to say that the important issue is job creation when this government has failed completely in this area. This government has done nothing for job creation. The only job creating program mentioned in the red book, municipal infrastructures, was reduced by 200 million dollars in the recent budget.
So I believe people will have to be careful to sort out reality from inflated patriotic language and repeated protestations. Reality is extremely harsh and inescapable; it shows this government has taken a turn to the right and has decided to attack the unemployed, the have-nots of our society. It did impose 100 million dollars of additional temporary taxes on banks but, at the same time, decided to take 700 million dollars from the unemployed. This government has launched the worse attack ever against the have-nots of Canada.
So when the Bloc speaks in the interest of those people it is talking in true legitimacy. We are very proud to say what we say in this House. If we were not here, nobody else would defend social programs and the right to strike.
What we represent in this House is legitimate all across Canada.