Mr. Speaker, my colleague from the government has just stated that this is an excellent budget. I, on the other hand, could say that this budget is hypocritical toward women and young people. Although it refers to subsidies to provide our young people with summer jobs, we know full well that the government had already cut $25 million in the previous budget. So this is the lesser of two evils. The budget tries to make some adjustments, but the last budget still contained cuts to community group programs for women.
These groups have seen their funds reduced by 31 per cent over six years. The last budget cut funding for women's organizations by 6 per cent. I am not so complimentary or positive about this budget. Look at what is happening today. People are still demonstrating. I was watching the news earlier and everywhere in Quebec and Ontario people are demonstrating. The federal government has cut transfers to the provinces.
People are indicating that they are not happy with this budget. Do they seem happy? Not at all. They are warning us that our social programs are in danger because of the government's pervasive cuts. There was an attempt to please young people and women, but women also want jobs. I feel that neither this budget nor the last one created jobs for women, or that real, concrete measures were taken.
The federal government has not invested a red cent in the UI fund, and yet it wants to centralize. The UI fund is even running a surplus, which the government plans to use to reduce its deficit.
I, for one, do not think this is a good budget for women. It is not what women are telling us. The last budget came under severe criticism, and I do not think that this budget will improve women's lot. Giving them the right to receive UI benefits and the income supplement will not create jobs, but simply ease the economic situation. However, for young women, for women returning to the labour force, there are no job creation initiatives.
My colleague also talked about nation building. I would like to ask her this: Is she aware that, within the nation they want to build, there are founding peoples, including Quebec francophones and natives?
I am very pessimistic about this budget. I would call it a hypocritical budget. It does not show any desire on the government's part to decentralize. There is some duplication. I think that, with all the commissions-on revenue, on health-it promises to set up, the federal government is once again trying to create jobs for its own people at the expense of the provinces.