Mr. Speaker, when I hear the undying optimism on the opposite side of the House, I sometimes wonder. I heard one hon. member say earlier that some people in this House talk the talk, but the Liberal government walks the walk. Perhaps we should remind ourselves who is walking the walk. It is the young people in Canada who are seeking opportunities elsewhere who are walking the walk. They are leaving Canada.
With the unbridled optimism of the government, perhaps it should spend less time in the House and more time out talking to young people and telling them why they should stay. Not the talk of this government, but the actions of this government and the fundamentals of the economy are driving the young out of this country.
Given that free trade, the GST and the deregulation of financial services, transportation and energy have been fundamentally important to this government's ability to eliminate the deficit, where did the hon. member stand on free trade and the GST in the 1993 election? Where did the Minister of Finance stand and where did that party stand at that time?