Mr. Speaker, perhaps it is a generation gap but the hon. member prefers to focus on the past and I prefer to focus on the future.
The fact is that in 1984, if the hon. member checks his facts, the Conservative government inherited a $38 billion deficit in 1984 dollars. It was a far higher deficit than what the Conservatives left in 1993 at $38 billion. In fact as a percentage of GDP that deficit was almost half, from 9% of GDP to about 5%. Government program spending was reduced from where it was growing by 15% per year to zero program spending growth by the Conservatives that recognized the importance of debt and deficits.
In 1988 the hon. member's party started attacking these policies by dividing the right in Canada. It ran a candidate—I think this gentleman is now the leader of the party he decided to wind down—against the current leader of our party on the free trade debate and split the right on the fundamental issue of free trade.
It is very sad that members of his party not only choose to focus on the past instead of the future, but even when it does so it does not have its facts straight.