Mr. Speaker, the member for Esquimalt--Juan de Fuca is talking nonsense. I have been a member of the government backbenches for the last eight years and I have never received a call from the PMO except to ask for my advice. I have never been told not to say anything.
I hope the member for Esquimalt--Juan de Fuca stays for my speech which will immediately follow his questions and comments because he will see an example of a government backbencher attacking government programs in order to effect change, so there is no question on this side. We are not muzzled by the Prime Minister's Office or anyone else.
Let me ask the member a question. One of the themes that has been coming through the Canadian Alliance speeches is this idea that in order to address the problem of the economic recession and to address the problem of a high government debt the only solution they seem to have is to cut taxes, but surely cutting taxes is cutting revenues which is a contradiction if we want to reduce the debt when we need revenues.