Mr. Speaker, I was anxious to address the budget.
Budget day is always an important day for Canadians, for people in all the provinces, including Quebec, because they want to find out what impact the budget will have on their daily lives.
Today, Oral Question Period focused on the current scandal at Human Resources Development Canada. This is not because the budget is not a priority, an important issue for members of parliament, including Bloc Quebecois members, but because we wanted to show how badly this government has failed, in terms of managing programs, of managing one of the most important departments.
This is not the first time. I remind members that in 1984 the federal government lost $1 billion hole through a new tax to promote scientific research. That tax loophole resulted in the robbery of the century. Over a nine month period the tab climbed to $3 billion, while the cost of that initiative was expected to be $100 million.
Considering all these losses created over the years by Liberal patronage, considering the measly $2.5 billion that will be paid, I thought the member would have had a more balanced approach, a vision regarding the needs of the provinces in health and education—