Mr. Speaker, yesterday's budget abandoned the promise of investing in our children.
The minuscule social spending announced does almost nothing to reduce child poverty, to give our kids an adequate education or to protect our children's health. It says that it is okay that one in five children live in poverty. It does not help families find affordable child care. It does not help students with crushing debt loads. It shrugs off the despair driving aboriginal children to suicide.
Last evening, while the finance minister was out selling tax cuts, CBC Radio's Ideas talked about our social obsession with youth and the fact that we pay no real attention to the harsh reality of our children.
The budget is a clear example of this. There is nothing about overcrowded classrooms, too few teachers or out of date books. The budget is silent on kids without food, without housing and self-respect. Tax cuts come before poor kids, highways before public caring.
The budget says that this is an acceptable condition for our children and that this government knows the price of everything but the value of nothing.