Mr. Speaker, I heard the hon. member talk about a reassuring budget. I would rather call it distressing.
For example, the Budget in Brief provides that the shortfall between the government revenues in 1996-1997 and its program and service spending will be $26 billion, which means that Canadians will pay $26 billion more than they will receive. In my opinion, this is very distressing.
We are going bankrupt, there are no two ways about it. In 1997-98, the governement will provide $35 billion less for programs and services than its tax revenues. These figures are distressing.
It is also distressing to think about the national SchoolNet program mentioned by the hon. member, given that education
comes under the exclusive jurisdiction of the provinces, particularly Quebec. Indeed, it is distressing to hear that as well.
It is distressing to hear that the federal government will look after families, since social welfare also comes under the jurisdiction of the provinces. It is distressing to hear that from the government in office.
It is distressing to see that next year the debt service will amount to 50 per cent of all the money that taxpayers will give to the government.
It is distressing to hear that the unemployment rate is only 10 per cent, given that the government has reduced the number of weeks during which UI benefits can be collected, even though that rate is not really going down. By contrast, the number of welfare recipients is increasing, particularly in Quebec.
This is a simple case of transfer. People go from unemployment insurance to welfare. Moreover, the federal government is forcing the Quebec government, among others, to pick up the slack since it reduced the number of weeks during which UI benefits can be collected.
All this is truly distressing. And we are told that this is a reassuring budget. I realize that the hon. member represents the government, but still. Maybe he can explain all this to me. I doubt he can, but I will listen.
The little chart here refers to the financial needs of central organizations, expressed as a percentage of the gross domestic product. It puts Canada in first place. However, that does not take into account the deficit of the provinces. We are told that the public debt represents 74.8 per cent of the GDP. However, if you include the deficits of the provinces, the ratio is 105 per cent. We are the nation in the worst financial shape among all industrialized countries. I would appreciate it if the hon. member could make all this more clear to me.