Mr. Speaker, this is a great day. In addition to the good news about our Prime Minister's successful and significant negotiations with the provinces on the social union, I awoke this morning to learn that the unemployment rate in Canada had fallen to 7.8%, the lowest rate in almost nine years. This means that in January 87,000 more Canadians, including 44,000 young people, had a job to go to each day, jobs that they did not have in December. Bravo.
For some time I have been concerned that as our economy went through a period impacted by technological change unemployment had become structural. By smashing through and below the 8% unemployment barrier, our government has proven that its policies of sound fiscal management and progressive job creation initiatives are working. This bodes well for the country as this government will continue to offer all Canadians the strong and visionary leadership that it has since 1993.