Mr. Speaker, I listened carefully to the answer by the hon. member. If I clearly understood his response to the question from the opposition, the government is not ready to look at employment insurance and the effect that employment insurance has had on many Canadians in Canada. Am I clear on that?
Could the member also comment on whether the government would be in the position it is today if it was not for free trade, which has brought export up from $80 billion to $280 billion? As well, would the government be in this position if it was not for the GST, which this government said it would scrap in the last election? This year the GST brought $24 billion into the federal coffers. Does the member think that the government would be in that position today if it was not for these measures which were brought in by the Conservative government?