Mr. Speaker, obviously the government would like to have seen the Canadian economy create more jobs over the last three years. I would like to point out to the Leader of the Opposition that the Canadian economy has, since November 1993, created more than 667,000 new jobs, more than Germany, France and Great Britain combined.
We have put such programs as the infrastructure program in place, and this June we made an offer to the provinces to continue it next year. The first ministers, after examining the program over the summer, have accepted. We have already begun negotiations to extend the program to 1997, perhaps beyond.
We have also implemented job creation programs for youth, and a number of other measures. Most important of all, however, we have created the necessary climate to allow such things as a 3 per cent reduction in the interest rate. As a result, there has been an upswing in construction in recent months. People wishing to own a home are now paying far less interest on their mortgages.