Mr. Speaker, it is slightly humbling to speak after the valiant veteran from Davenport but I will intercede on behalf of my colleagues in the House to bear with me for eight or ten minutes as I give a dissertation of the great qualities of this 1999 budget that the wonderful Liberal Party has brought forward.
It may come as no surprise to my colleagues that I stand in support of this Liberal government's 1999 budget which will increase prosperity and lead Canadians into a new world economy for a new century.
At the beginning of this century the prosperity of the Canadian economy was of course dependent on entering a world economic environment that provided funds for investment and markets for exports. One hundred years later, after Sir Wilfrid Laurier, who was responsible for this rather profound and provident policy, this current Liberal government is continuing to keep Canada at the forefront as one of the top industrial nations in the world.
For my constituents in the great riding of Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, the 1999 budget represents a continued commitment to the military and the revered Liberal institution of universal health care which some of the members opposite want to eviscerate.
Increased tax cuts will also improve everyone's standard of living, including the hon. member from Sleepy Hollow opposite, and create the foundation for much needed economic growth and development not only in the great upper Ottawa valley but throughout this tremendous country called Canada.
It was clearly evident to this Liberal government after consultations with Canadian from coast to coast to coast that health care should be the number one priority in this budget. Without a doubt health care was our number one priority and, I might be so bold, it should be the number one priority for some of the members opposite because I think some of them should indulge in good health. I know we have on occasion a boxer over there and a former professional athlete, but I think that was something like 40 or 50 years ago.
On this health care issue we have given back over $11.5 billion. This was hard earned money Canadians really needed and really wanted. They stuck with us. The Liberals won the election in 1993. Thank goodness we did because this country was going nowhere fast, hitting the wall because the Conservative government left us with an astronomical $42 billion a year annual deficit. We had to eradicate that deficit.
How did we do that? We did that in consultation with all Canadians. They agreed with that. We were honest with them, we were truthful with them. We said when we have balanced the books without a doubt we will put that money back to where we believe it is most needed and health care is the number one issue. We have given that $11.5 billion back. As a matter of fact, the funding now in 1999 is higher than it was in 1990.
In the province of Ontario some people have tried to somehow extrapolate that it is the federal government's fault for closures of hospitals and the downsizing of the health care portfolio. Everyone knows that the provincial Tory government in Ontario must have been cerebrally incapable of understanding basic economics that if it gives 30% tax cuts which amounted in Ontario to about $4.5 billion it will have to find the money somewhere else or make dramatic cuts. In the province of Ontario those dramatic cuts came in the health care field. That government should never have done that until it balanced the books.
We have now balanced the books in two consecutive years. That has not been done since 1952. This Liberal government has done that. We have done it in a fair and equitable manner. Now we have decided to give back.
Another important area where we must give money back is to the military which we have done to the tune of $175 million a year for the next four to five years. Hopefully, as long as we keep balancing the books, which rest assured we will do, we can continue this.
Reformers just talked about this. They talked the big line in their no start or fresh start, whatever they call it, that they were going to balance the books in 2000. We on this side of the House did it in 1998.
There is an old axiom in life that talk is cheap. I think they are just blowing smoke. I do not think they ever had the will power or the capacity to actually balance the books. We did it. When they are yelling, screaming and making rather inappropriate and intemperate remarks, it is probably just blatant jealously that we actually could do something that they could not.
We have balanced the books for two consecutive years. It has not been done since 1952. We have given money back to the military. I have a great military establishment in my riding, CFB Petawawa. We are looking after those people because the quality of life for the military certainly was not there. Unquestionably it needed more money and we have delivered.
I know the hon. member opposite wants to talk about taxes, lowering taxes. We have lowered taxes. Six hundred thousand Canadians are no longer on the tax roll. If the hon. member for Wild Rose makes a big salary then he has to pay his taxes. He should look after the poor people. My goodness, go on a diet and you will not have to spend so much money.
We got rid of the 3% surtax that was an egregious tax brought in by the former Conservative government. It made a dramatic mess of the economy. We spent the last six years trying to clean up the mess it made and, I might add, we are doing a remarkable job.
I quoted Sir Wilfrid Laurier. He was one of our great prime ministers. I want the members opposite to pay strict attention to this. Sir Wilfrid Laurier said that liberalism is inherent in the very essence of our nature. It is the desire of happiness with which we are all born into the world. We constantly gravitate toward an ideal which we never attain. We dream of good but never realize the best. And thus it will be as long as people are what they are. As long as their immortal soul inhabits a mortal body their desires will always be vaster than their dreams.
Our desire on this side of the House is that as we move into a new millennium we follow that Laurier legacy. We will thrive and survive under a Prime Minister who knows what has to be done and goes ahead and does it and with a government that is caring and compassionate for all Canadians.
We are leading a national effort, this Liberal Party, an effort which will spread to all sectors of society, to equip Canadians to compete in a changing world, a new world for a new millennium, I say to the member for Wild Rose. That is why we are investing in knowledge, innovation, research and development. It will mean expanding opportunities for not only ourselves but for our children and for the hon. member's great, great-grandchildren because I am sure he has some.
Twenty years from now in the year 2020 it will be our children, my children, not the hon. members' great, great-grandchildren, who will be leading the great riding of Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke and leading Canada into the 21st century. They are our future. They will be looking after us in our old age.
The future belongs to societies whose economies are sound, whose children are well prepared and which invest in knowledge, innovation and education. However, these changes cannot be achieved by the federal government alone. They require a partnership at all levels of government, the public sector, the private sector, the trade unions, the volunteers and even members opposite, although sometimes we would not need their input to tell you the truth.
This 1999 budget and future budgets will take us into the future and into a new millennium.
