Madam Speaker, I want to pick up on a sentence that the member delivered in his speech when he said: "Any help we"-being the Reform Party-"can give to the traditional family this party supports". I believe that is an accurate phrase from the member's speech. I see the member nodding in agreement.
I would like to suggest humbly that the Reform Party can talk about its commitment to the traditional family. I believe the member is sincere when he talks about that. However, at the same time, I do not think the Reform Party realizes that its campaign that has gone on in this House for the last three years plus on cuts in every sector of government, the lean, mean machine type of approach to government, in fact not only directly but indirectly causes a tremendous assault on the traditional family.
It is important, when we have the opportunity to debate some of these issues, that we realize we have to look not just at the micro issues but at the macro effect. The Reform Party has not been sensitive to traditional family values. It would be interesting to see if the member would say that maybe this is a conversion as we are heading into an election year or something.
Maybe the member could clarify why the Reform Party now believes that its campaign on cuts over the last three years has been an assault on the traditional family and that it is prepared to reconsider that approach and start looking at a more generous approach in using government agencies and departments to look out for the needs of families?