Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Minister of Finance said that large federal investments would be ineffective against the economic slowdown, which has been worsening since the September 11 attacks. When the Prime Minister tells us that we must act with patience and wisdom, this does not mean inaction and a laissez-faire approach.
Given the thousands of job losses, particularly in Quebec, how can the Minister of Finance, with his $10 billion surplus, continue to be so insensitive and refuse to step in to help the economy?