Madam Speaker, I rise to participate in the debate because I think it is necessary for Canadians to understand that we at the committee level actually approved this plan to travel and the hon. member who just spoke agreed to travel with the finance committee.
There are a couple of points that the member raised in his comments which I find quite suspicious. First, he feels that members of parliament ought to go out in their communities and seek input during the prebudget consultation period. That is precisely what our committee has been asking for since 1993. Members of parliament should go into their communities, report to the finance committee and their findings would be incorporated in the finance committee report to the Minister of Finance.
Second, I do not understand how the member can say that the recommendations made by the finance committee are not acted upon by the Minister of Finance. For the interest of Canadians, I want to raise just a few of the recommendations that have been adopted by the Minister of Finance and the Government of Canada.
These recommendations deal with prudent economic assumptions in the formulation of the budget and the issue relating to the contingency reserve and how it should not be used to fund either program spending or tax cuts. The committee recommended: that the federal government establish a long term target for sustainable debt to GDP ratio; that the temporary 3% surtax be completely eliminated; that the basic personal amount be increased; that employment insurance premiums be lowered; that the government increase funding to the provinces for health care; and that the government increase funding for health research because we all understand the importance of that particular issue.
What is interesting is that all of these recommendations came from the people of Canada. They had input in two ways. They had input through the finance committee and also at the community level through those members of parliament who cared enough to do a prebudget consultation through town hall meetings, questionnaires or whatever method they liked to use to consult with Canadians.
If there is something I personally take great pride in, it is the fact that Canadians' input has been seen in every single budget delivered by the Minister of Finance. When Canadians see that the $16.5 billion tax cut has been implemented, they know it comes from the input from the various town hall meetings and from their presentations to the House of Commons finance committee.
When Canadians see that we understand what it takes to build a productive economy and make wise investment in young people and education and health care, they know that is their word being reflected in the budget. That has happened every single year.
When the government inherited the $42 billion deficit and Canadians said that we should make eliminating the deficit a priority, that is exactly what happened.
I have to make these points because I fundamentally believe in the consultation process. I fundamentally believe in the consultation process that was started by the government. It speaks to what is the essential fibre of democracy; that Canadians are given an opportunity to express themselves clearly, to clearly state their points of view and to clearly state priorities. This essentially is what is being denied to the people of Canada who must have an opportunity to express their points of view on a very important issue. The budget is very important and must reflect Canadians' priorities but in order to do that we must be able to seek their input.
The prebudget consultation process, above and beyond the OECD, has also been applauded by Canadians from coast to coast to coast as an innovative method of seeking public input. Therefore, the Reform Party had better be careful because it is infringing on the fundamental rights people have to express themselves.
The hon. member who just spoke is a very active member of the finance committee and that is why perhaps I am very surprised by his attitude. The members opposite had better think twice about doing what they are doing because Canadians recognize how effective the prebudget consultation process has been and how effective their voices have been in making sure the government acts on those priorities which are essential to building a better life, a stronger economy and a more just society.
My question for the member is quite simple: Why the flip flop?