Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his comments on the budget, many of which tend to dispel the myth the government is trying to create, the myth that this is a good news budget, the myth that is being perpetuated by the government's spending of millions of dollars to advertise it as a good news budget.
At the end of the day the people in Halifax West and in various other ridings across the country will ask themselves whether they have a job, whether they will still have to stand in line for health care, whether they will get out from under the heavy student debt load they are experiencing, whether they will have a place to live, whether they will be getting EI.
One very important issue that was not addressed by the budget was the question of a national shipbuilding policy for Canada, which would certainly help the Atlantic provinces with employment and with economic spin-off. There was a meeting a while back which involved the parties, but the Liberals did not send anyone to it. Will the member comment on whether the budget should have addressed the issue of a national shipbuilding policy?