Mr. Speaker, the economic news is good for Canada.
We have learned that growth in the last quarter was 2.5%. This is close to twice the figure for the United States. Our GDP increased in March as well.
This good news follows on the update announced by the Minister of Finance. This year there will be $17 billion more available to stimulate our economy. Among other things, we have reduced the corporate tax rate by one point, which will help give our businesses a competitive edge.
Despite the worldwide downturn, Canada is still enjoying the longest growth period since the 1960s.
Judge for yourself: more than 22 growth quarters in a row, more than 40% of our GDP composed of exports.
The state of the Canadian economy presents excellent prospects for the future.