Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that I have developed a communication tool with my constituents. I am extremely pleased that now what seems to be happening is not only are the parents and adults responding with comments but also young people are.
I want to share with the House and with my hon. colleague from Medicine Hat some comments by a young man, a grade 12 student, who attended the forum for young Canadians in Ottawa in March.
“As for the millennium fund, I believe it is a good idea but it reaches so few young Canadians. That money should be put toward eliminating the national debt. The government should not undertake any new major projects, the millennium fund, until the financial situation is resolved. This means that until Canada's debt is gone, no new major projects should be started”. This is from a young man who is going to be faced with taxes. I thought this was unique.
Another point was put before me by another young person, 17 years old. This person would like an answer even though they are not of voting age: “How come the millennium scholarship fund will only help out 6% of post-secondary students and with only $3,000 per year?”
I would like to ask my hon. colleague if he is also experiencing this concern by young people when they look at the debt that our generation and the generation before us are leaving them.