Mr. Speaker, I welcome the question. I thank my colleague for making the intervention to the Chair and subsequently to me because it gives me an opportunity to respond to the questions that were raised.
For that member or any member, particularly a member of the Reform Party to suggest that we are number one on any number of measures because we have borrowed is virtually scandalous. We are number one because we are Canada. We are number one because we are Canadians. We are number one because our aboriginal peoples from the beginning of this country have contributed to its greatness, because the English and the French and Canadians from virtually every single country in the world have come to contribute their talents, their energy and their efforts to make this country the country that it is.
He suggested that we have become number one because of previous governments with which he is very sympathetic and if my memory serves me correctly, he wanted to run for a particular government that had the same label as the one that preceded this one which doubled the debt. To suggest for one moment that we are number one because we borrowed is scandalous. I am surprised and disappointed because I have a lot of respect for that member. Frankly as I see some of the more moderate members making some of those grossly exaggerated, insensitive inaccurate comments, I know where they are going: down, down, down.
With respect to the imperfect bill, there are a number of imperfections. There are difficulties with respect to advertising. There are difficulties. For example, a particular item might cost $9.99 and with the tax it would be beyond that. People have in their minds that they are buying a $9.99 item. There are many others. My colleague probably read-I hope he did-the various testimonies from the literally hundreds of groups that drew various points to our attention and that wanted them corrected. These are in the process of being corrected.
There is virtually no piece of legislation that does not improve after men and women of sound mind and good intentions have looked at it in a co-operative way in order to make it better for the people they represent and serve. Is that astonishing? It would be extremely astonishing if legislation of that magnitude and impact did not undergo refinement. In fact it would never happen. My
colleague knows that and he knows it full well. It is an attempt to try to embarrass the government, but it is not going to work.
We are talking about all of these dollars that have supposedly been spent. Does my colleague suggest they have been spent for naught? Does my colleague suggest that we spent that to have fun? Does my colleague suggest that we spent that irresponsibly? Where is the proof? Of course not. Changing any system is expensive and he knows that. He knows that changing any system is expensive but he will not acknowledge it. I find that most unfortunate, most most unfortunate. It is to help with the transition and he knows it.