Mr. Speaker, I have two questions. Why did it take three years for the government to finally understand the logic of tax equity? Why did it take between the budget of 2000 and the budget of 2003 for the government to finally realize one very simple principle: that we ought not to discriminate against particular sectors of the economy, in this case the energy sector? Why the delay?
Second, why will it now take five years from this point to create equity for the men and women who work in the oil and gas, mining and forestry sectors of Canada? There is an eight year gap between the general reduction in corporate taxes in 2000 and the full implementation of the changes to non-mineral resource taxation. What can possibly account for that?