Madam Speaker, debt reduction has always been a priority of the government. We have from the beginning addressed it by a 50:50 approach: 50% on new spending and 50% on tax reduction and debt reduction. We have helped to create a economic milieu in the country whereby the economy has grown. It continues to grow at such a pace that it factors into the debt ratio. This has declined, as the questioner knows, and will continue to do so. Yes, we have reduced it by $3 billion for each of our years. Yes, we continue to set aside a contingency fund which most likely will be able to be applied to the debt at the end of this fiscal year.
In phrasing his question the hon. member made reference to the fact that perhaps members on this side of the House were singing from a song sheet that someone else prepared. We prepared that song sheet. We had a finance minister and a cabinet listen closely to a caucus wherein we are free to speak of all things vital to us, to reflect what our constituents tell us about health care, to hear from our constituents and to feed into a budget. This budget is a result of that. It reflects an open caucus where every person on this side of the House feels that he or she has been a part in setting the budget.
The official opposition, to the best of my knowledge, for a party that wants to be grassroots does not run a caucus in any way like the caucus of the Liberal government.