Mr. Speaker, I truly welcome the opportunity to respond. I appreciate the member's passion for this particular topic, although I would question some of the facts.
I want to reiterate once again that when we talk about taxes, this government has not once increased personal income taxes since coming into office in 1993.
I would ask the member to perhaps listen to the answer since he had the opportunity to take the floor a little earlier.
I would encourage the member to join us as we move to the next millennium and to stop talking about the 50 years that have gone by. It is only because of the support of Canadians for the actions of this government that we are talking about a fiscal dividend today.
This government is not taking the credit. It is Canadians who should take the credit.
Do not come to this House and continue with this verbiage about how I am standing up and belittling the member. Let us get it clear. Canadians ensured that this government was able to complete a program that was laid out beginning in 1993 continuing through to 1997.
When the member talks about spending, there is spending in this government in this country today that is the lowest in 50 years. It is not this particular government that is overspending.
When we talk about what is so crucially important to sustain this country, it is that we must not and will never overspend or spend more than what we take in. It is quite clear and it has been said over and over again. I only wish that for once a member from the opposition would get up and recognize that fact. They should check Hansard because over and over again it is there, but they agree to ignore it.
Let me move to some of the other members of that caucus. The member for Selkirk—Interlake said that any shortfalls Manitoba suffered from equalization cuts could be made up by provincial tax hikes or spending cuts. Is that coming from that opposition party? Is that coming from that opposition party that just had a member stand up and say “Give back to Canadians no tax increases”. A member of his own party says “Do not worry about cutting, they will jack it up at the other level”. That is something we will not do. That is not the role of this government.
They talk about cutting spending. I will use another example of a member of that particular party and perhaps some will recognize the quote, “I support the idea of regional economic development. As a former mayor of Dauphin I know the importance of it. We need the money to leverage other money”. That was the member for Dauphin—Swan River.