If the NDP members will not heckle me, I will not heckle them. I know they may not like these truths. The fact is I was asked to carry back the message to this House which I am doing now and to the minister of how pleased the medical community was in London and across Canada at the reinvestment in research and development, particularly in the field of health.
Indeed, one only has to reflect on the words of Michael Smith, our Nobel Prize winner, who said that in terms of reinvestment in health, this is probably the best budget ever by a federal government in this country. To my knowledge, Mr. Smith is not a Liberal member of parliament. He is a highly respected international figure in the medical community.
Why is there such a positive response? It is obvious. For the second year in a row there is a balanced budget and a commitment by this government that we will balance budgets over the next two years as well. Therefore there will have been four consecutive balanced budgets under this government, and that when we faced the situation of a $42.5 billion deficit which we inherited when we came to power in 1993.
We recently met with a wide cross-section of labour leaders in London, Ontario. They had a concern about unemployment, as I do. But they could not deny the fact that we inherited 11.5% unemployment and today it stands at 7.8%. It is not good enough, but it is a lot better than it was in 1993, and the lowest level since 1990. Youth unemployment is decreasing. In the last 12 months youth employment has had its strongest yearly growth rate in over 25 years.
We are a Liberal government and we see a Liberal balanced budget which is trying to reinvest the surplus that we have been able to realize through the efforts of Canadians and the leadership of this government and at the same time continue the tax cuts which were begun in past budgets.
One only needs to reflect on the fact that 200,000 more Canadians are removed from the tax rolls this year. They are low and middle income Canadians. Those are my constituents who live in co-op housing in my riding whom I just met with the other night. They praised that fact as well as they praised the government's stand on not transferring federal co-op housing to the province of Ontario.
It is very interesting to hear the champions of these issues. Let them come to London—Fanshawe. I welcome them to come to London, Ontario. I welcome them to a debate any time. I even welcome their heckling now because it is a sign that these truths do not sit well.
In conclusion, I say that we have had an excellent budget from an excellent minister. It has been very well received in London, Ontario. It has been very well received in my riding of London—Fanshawe. Yes, there are suggestions for future budgets. I intend to pursue them on behalf of my constituents but I am proud to support this budget wholeheartedly.