Mr. Speaker, there is much that I would like to comment on, but I was surprised to hear one particular comment from the member about the fact that the government spends like drunken sailors. The facts clearly show that is not the case. In 2000-01 spending was 11% of the GDP. Today it is 12.2%, the lowest since 1950. The budget projection figure will fall below 12% over the next two fiscal years.
The hon. member knows that the one blip this year in spending was because of health care. The agreement was for $34.8 billion over five years with $5 billion up front this year. We are no where close to the 1970s, the 1980s or the first half of the 1990s. Program spending amounted to around 15% to 20% during the seventies, eighties and early nineties. Today, it is down sharply. We are at 15.7%. It has not been that low since 1984 and it is predicted again to fall to 15.2% by 2005.
Total spending is down sharply, from 20% to 25%, to 15% of GDP. Those are the facts. To suggest that we are spending like drunken sailors is totally false.
We had massive deficits during the seventies and eighties. We have no deficit in this budget. We have no deficit projected for next year or the year after. If the member is going to talk about spending he should get his facts straight. At the same time the member suggested--