Mr. Speaker, just what do the Liberals really believe when it comes to productivity and the state of the economy?
First the Prime Minister says that a low dollar is a good thing and if low is good, then catastrophically lower must be divine.
Next the finance minister says that all is well, please do not worry, the fundamentals are sound and one of these days we are going to flex the real Canadian economic muscle, it is just that it may not be in our lifetime.
Now the new industry minister admits that real incomes in Canada have been steadily falling since the Liberals took office and if we do not narrow the income gap with the U.S., we risk an outflow of talent and capital, a decline in our standard of living and ultimately the quality of life of Canadians. So at least the new industry minister now believes that productivity, income gaps and the brain drain are real problems and are getting worse.
Unfortunately the words were barely out of his mouth before the minister of culture waded into the fray saying that such announcements were out of line, that everything was good and Liberal in the land and that Liberal economic policies were unfolding as they should. Sadly, they have already unfolded and ordinary Canadians are paying a sad price.