Madam Speaker, I have worked with the hon. member on the Standing Committee on Finance and I still do. I respect all the people who try to give their best efforts here.
I am sorry if he is saddened, but it is pathetic to listen to his diatribe. It is totally pathetic to stand up and say to Canadians that all we have talked about is this portion.
I talked only about this portion because we were told only an hour before proceedings yesterday that the government had a deal with those three provinces. That is how much notice the finance minister gave the opposition parties that the deal was in place. We are supposed to get our act together and find out what is good about it and bad about it an hour before, listen to the whole diatribe and then go through it?
The member for Capilano-Howe Sound gave a complete dissertation on UI and the problems with UI and how the government is using that as a way to fund the deficit; $18 billion in revenues, expenses have dropped from $17 billion down to $12 billion, and it is putting that $5 billion away into its cash flow and using it to meet its deficit targets.
If the government only had a ceiling on UI, a $2 billion ceiling, capped it and then lowered the rates for business and lowered the rates for employees, it would be a tax cut. A tax cut would help consumers and businesses and would stimulate the economy.
No, the government is not doing that. It will save that $5 billion and apply it to the deficit. If the government did it the way it should the deficit targets the finance minister has set out would not have been reached.
We have spoken about more than one thing. I am sorry about losing my cool a little.
On harmonization and subsidies, what is being subsidized is not grain. What is being subsidized is not unemployed people. What is being subsidized is not giving money to the needy. It is subsidizing a tax cut to three provincial premiers who will brag that they brought in tax cuts.
When in heaven's name did we ever start subsidizing tax cuts across the country? That is all this is. It is not a disruption mechanism. The rate in the province dropped from 19 per cent down to 12 per cent. In one province that is a 7 per cent drop. It is a loss of revenue and the government is subsidizing it, plain and simple.
With respect to the Fraser Institute, I am sure Mr. Michael Walker just had a weak moment in praising the Liberal budget. If he reviews his comments about the $111 billion which the government will have added to the debt when it exits, I would think the Fraser Institute will change its tune pretty darn quickly.