Mr. Speaker, I suppose hope springs eternal in the heart of a Liberal, but he probably wrote that answer some time last night between cocktails and caviar.
We do not think there is an excuse for these numbers. Our number one trading partner and competitor, the United States, just reported that its unemployment rate is now 4.7%, just half of what ours is. Across the border they are enjoying the lowest unemployment rate in 24 years.
Has it come to this? Is looking outside the country the only place that unemployed Canadians can expect to find work?