Mr. Speaker, it was a pleasure to be in the member's riding this week and to talk to some of his constituents. They are telling a very different story than the picture he just finished painting.
I spoke with students at Wilfred Laurier on Tuesday and I spoke to others throughout his community. I can indicate what they are saying about the government's actions, its high taxes, its high debt, and the slash and burn approach that it has taken to health care. It added $11.5 billion to health care, which did not make up for the $20 billion that it slashed and burned from health care. They are not happy about that situation. Individuals in the member's community are not singing the same praises of the government. In fact, they have hard questions for the member.
We heard today in question period the Minister of Industry talk about the falling standard of living. The member was singing the praises of the standard of living as though it was improving in his riding. The minister counteracted that today.
I would like to ask the member a very specific question. How can he justify saying that the standard of living is improving in his community when his own Minister of Industry is saying that there is a fall in the standard of living of up to $7,000 for Canadians?