Thank you for the reminder, Madam Speaker. As a new member of Parliament, it is something that takes a while to get use to. I appreciate the reminder and will continue with my remarks.
The finance minister has slashed $2.29 billion from post-secondary education. What this means is that by the year 2000 colleges and universities will have lost $3.27 billion due to Liberal policies. That is unconscionable, especially when we hear the hypocrisy that comes out of the mouths of Liberal members who profess to be concerned about the future of young people in this country. We need student aid today, not in the year 2000, not a millennium fund and not a scholarship fund. We need a national grants program and a tuition freeze.
If the Liberal members truly care about the future of young people and about poverty in this country, this motion is something that should be critically debated and acted on to show that we are serious about that commitment.
Instead of meaningful assistance, those who are on social assistance are caught up in a cynical public relations game.
In December 1997 the Minister of Finance described child poverty as a priority. However, based on the actions of the government to date and as the evidence shows, child poverty has not been a priority. It has been rhetoric. Child poverty has been increasing.
We have heard a lot of talk about the national child benefit but we all know that when the finance minister presents his budget next week he will be announcing the national child benefit for not the first time, not the second time, not the third time but the fourth time. Meanwhile poor kids in this country and their families have not seen a dime in terms of improved circumstances to relieve the poverty stricken measures that they live with in their local communities.
Whenever the Liberal government is called to account for this government's appalling record on poverty, it tries to hide behind the national child tax benefit. With these repeated announcements and exaggerated claims by Liberal ministers the fact is the truth is coming out that not one thing has changed. As I have pointed out in this debate tonight the situation has worsened.
The announcement by the Liberals on the child tax benefit does not even come close to making up for the 40% cut in federal transfers to social services and other programs since the Liberals took office.
Anti-poverty groups in this country have been outspoken. They have made it very clear that the $850 million that has been announced so many times is simply not enough to deal with even the limited program that the federal government has announced. And it does not apply to those on welfare.
It is important that we address and lay out clear and meaningful targets for the elimination of poverty and reducing unemployment. In the upcoming budget I believe there is a critical question that each of us has to ask ourselves. That is, will the measures that are outlined in the budget eliminate poverty, will they reduce poverty and unemployment or will they increase the growing inequalities that we have seen?
I would like to point out that there are good alternatives we can look to. An alternative federal budget was put together and presented by a group in Winnipeg, Choices and the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. It lays out in a much better way than what the finance minister has done in all of his years of dealing with this, very clear choices and targets that we can systematically move toward to reduce unemployment and poverty if we have the political will and if we have the fortitude to speak out. We must call for things like fair taxation and minimum wages, and for ensuring that the massive profits of the banks are reinvested in our communities.
I believe that we must set national targets. We must embark on a national housing program. What better program could we have to reduce unemployment, to pay people decent wages and also to fulfil a social need? That is a program for people who are living in inadequate housing.
I would urge the members of this House to take this motion seriously. I would also seek the unanimous consent of the House to have this voted upon.