Mr. Speaker, I am sorry, but it is Friday afternoon.
I welcome this opportunity to respond to the motion of the hon. member for Qu'Appelle. The motion urges the government to introduce measures in the upcoming budget to ensure that every Canadian has an opportunity to share in new prosperity.
Indeed, creating opportunity for Canadians has been a hallmark of this government since it took office. Over the last four years we have worked with Canadians to overcome our nation's economic challenges and to put in place a strong foundation for success in the knowledge based economy of the new millennium.
It is clear that when this government first took office the deficit was hovering around $42 billion.