Mr. Speaker, employment figures released last Friday show full time employment in Canada increased by 23,000 jobs in March, a remarkable achievement considering the time of year and the war in Iraq. By contrast, the economy south of the border showed a loss of 108,000 jobs. Evidently the war is having an impact on the U.S. economy.
Canada's economy is healthy. The U.S. economy is on a slippery slope. The official opposition and its real allies, big business, do not seem to realize that acting in Canada's interest means resisting military conflict, working for peaceful solutions, reducing Canada's huge dependence on the U.S. economy, and building, expanding and strengthening economic ties with Europe, Asia and Latin America.