Mr. Speaker, it feels like a very short time ago, but a little over four years ago I as a newcomer to the House of Commons heard my first budget presentation by the hon. Minister of Finance.
It brought a little apprehension to me because after listening I believed what he was saying. He said that we could do what was necessary to achieve our deficit target of 3% of GDP and we would repair the disaster that was left to us by previous administrations. Naturally I had faith in his plan, a plan that was laid before us. However, I am going to be very honest, there were some reservations.
Why did I have these reservations in my mind? It was simply because I as a student of the political scene had followed the 34th session of Parliament during Brian Mulroney's government and had watched the hon. minister of finance, Mr. Wilson, time and time again make predictions and discover that he was always way off in his predictions. I was a little fearful that maybe that would be a permanent sort of occurrence that happened with every budget.
Fortunately with my faith I knew that we could achieve the target. However, not in my wildest dreams did I think we might be in the position that we are today, balancing the budget so quickly and so far ahead of schedule.
Sure, I am ecstatic about this situation and proud but I am also relieved to see that the promises made back then have been fulfilled and then some. We have a balanced budget and Canadians should be proud. Their efforts and sacrifices have paid off.
Yes, we have all made sacrifices. We all know the vast majority of companies in this country have debts. We know the vast majority of households in this country have debts. However, there comes a time, whether in a corporation, a company, a business or in a household, when some decisions have to be made. We cannot have expenditures exceeding income. That is when the sacrifices have to be made. In a household that is when the husband and wife get together and say they cannot afford this or that and must make a decision. They have to curtail their spending. They decide that the wife will not get a fur coat this winter but will get it when they can afford it.
In other words, sacrifices of that nature had to be made on a personal basis by all Canadians in order for us to achieve the targets that we have in a little over four years.
As a long time educator, I was particularly pleased to see the efforts that were made to improve the situation that faces our students. Improvements for the management of student debt, the provision of tax relief for interest payments on student loans and the granting of increases in funding for advanced research and for graduate students were most welcome announcements.
We all are aware of the fact that we have done quite a few things by implementing certain measures in past budgets as well as this one. I predict that there will be many more measures in budgets in the years ahead. These measures will help many to survive and benefit from their involvement in the post-secondary educational system.
I would like to point this out to all the august members of the House of Commons who are here to listen to my presentation tonight. Just about everything the budget implements has a direct or indirect bearing on the educational development of each and every citizen of this country. Whether they be health, agriculture or industry, whatever measures are implemented will have positive spin-offs as far as learning processes are concerned.
Despite popular support for this educational budget initiative, we are still hearing complaints from the opposition. For instance, Premier Bouchard and his Bloc allies have claimed that the millennium scholarship fund represents interference in provincial jurisdiction. Others also complain about that very same issue. The reality of the matter is that his position is seriously at odds with the sentiment of his constituents.
A survey which was taken last fall by a major polling company indicated that the notion of a scholarship program was widely popular in Quebec, so much so that only 6% of Quebeckers opposed the concept of a scholarship fund. This is clear cut evidence that the Bloc and Mr. Bouchard are seriously out of touch with their constituents, as are other premiers of this country.
Last weekend I was very fortunate to have spent three days in Montreal. On Friday night I spent over two hours with four students, three from McGill University and one from a college. They pointed out to me that they were not opposed to any federally funded initiative that would help people in post-secondary educational systems in their province, provided that it was fair.
When I asked for their definition of fairness they said “What is good for the goose is good for the gander. If we can get it, it must be equally available to someone else in another province. Whatever they get in British Columbia we should also receive”.
An interesting point emerged. They felt that fairness could only be achieved through national federal programs. That is quite obvious. When there are as many provinces and partners as there are in this federation, which represent a variety of ideological political positions and which have a variety of strategies for achieving their goals, there will be great discrepancies between and among each and every province.
The only way we can get uniformity and the only way we can maintain a degree of fairness is to have a nationally instituted, initiated, administered program.
I believe the real problem is that Mr. Bouchard has a serious problem allowing young Quebeckers to be aware of the fact that Canada contributes moneys to their education.
Let us take a look at what is happening in the province of Ontario. There have been a lot of complaints about the transfer payments. We know that the 30% tax cut pledge of the Mike Harris government will cost that province $4.8 billion each year. This represents money that could have been used for education and health care in Ontario.
This tax cut in the province of Ontario amounts to approximately five times more than the federal transfer reductions to Ontario in 1998 and 1999. Rarely does a premier of any province mention the transfer of tax credits which is another strategy we have agreed upon to transfer money directly to the provincial coffers.
Higher and higher levels of education are now necessary in order for Canadians to adequately participate in today's job market. I am not only concerned about the job market, but also about quality of life. It is absolutely essential that we be the guardians of the individuals in this country. That is the main purpose of a government, to protect its citizens, to see to it that their quality of life is enhanced on an ongoing basis, to see that its citizens grow. We must bring about those strategies to guarantee that all people in Canada will continue to progress.
I could go on for another two or three hours talking about all the wonderful things that have happened, are happening and will happen under this government.