Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech and would like to ask him a number of questions on some important issues he addressed, in particular on improving the export potential of Canada.
Our standard of living is largely dependent upon our ability to export. Competitiveness in export markets relies on lower taxes, a strong educational system and a situation that decreases the barriers to trade. Over the last 3.5 years the government has seen fit to pursue a strategic economic course that has increased taxes 37 times. The most recent one is the increase in CPP which basically took $10 billion out of the hands of consumers.
With respect to education, the backbone of our ability to be competitive in the world, the government has chosen to remove $7 billion from transfer payments to the provinces. This has significantly compromised the ability of students in Canada to get the training they will need in the future to compete with students from as far away as Tokyo and Moscow.
Barriers to trade are a significant deterrent to our competitiveness. Why has the government chosen to nibble around the edges of the issue of interprovincial trade barriers to such an extent that today there are fewer barriers north-south than east-west? It is absolutely essential for all companies in the country be able to work in an environment free of egregious government control. Interprovincial trade barriers are probably the greatest deterrent to our companies being competitive.
How can the member can stand in the House and talk about competitiveness when the government has done numerous things to make Canadian companies uncompetitive?