Mr. Speaker, it is amazing. He was begging us for another taxpayers' budget this year and now he is misquoting it. It just seems absolutely ridiculous. The finance minister says we will continue to gut social programs and emasculate medicare but our program calls for sustained spending for medicare, not cuts as he has done.
What the minister avoids and what he got so worked up about right now is the fact that foreign banks are going to be taking so much of the money we are giving to this government in taxes hoping it will be used responsibly. He talks about the future, 2006, but he did nothing to improve the actual lives of Canadians now. Youth unemployment is still 16 per cent. The CPP is in trouble and needs something more serious than just tinkering. Social programs are being eroded.
Since this finance minister is so good at looking 10 years ahead rather than at tomorrow or balancing the budget very soon, would he please answer the following: What is he going to do? When is he going to balance the books? When is he going to provide tax cuts? When will he give us the unemployment numbers for star date 2006?