Madam Speaker, let me thank my friend from Toronto—Danforth for those very kind words. One thing my friend did not mention is that we may have gone to the same high school but my friend may have gone a few years earlier than I did.
There is a note saying that the youth looks at things in a very passionate and emotional way and then they simply grow up. In response to my friend's questions on my meanderings and my moving over on the political spectrum, perhaps I simply grew up and looked at things the way they ought to be looked at.
I share my friend's concerns about the importance of providing capital to small business. We have talked about big business. The Prime Minister is off to China trying to get contracts for big companies. That is a legitimate thing to do, if they are actually able to get them. However, no reputable economic thinker disputes the importance of small business to the strength of the economy. If we cannot have access in a fast and efficient way at rates which are competitive, we are not going to do things in a good way.
Let me simply thank my friend across the aisle for his comments and say that we will work together. I am sure all of my colleagues in the Canadian Alliance would agree that we need to have a strong financial services sector with banks and financial institutions that offer loans to the small businessman and woman.