Mr. Speaker, there are certainly some areas in this bill where the Conservatives and the NDP can see eye-to-eye. In fact, I would suggest that the Conservatives, the Bloc and the NDP are of one mind, in terms of dealing with this bill generally.
The member is absolutely right. This bill, like other Liberal gimmicky approaches, has caused the kind of devastation that we see from one end of this country to the other. I would refer, in particular, to the reference the member made about highways and infrastructure. The Liberals, over the last 12 years, have left us with a legacy of gimmicks and poor fiscal management. They have put all their eggs in one basket. They have allowed the infrastructure deficit to reach $60 billion.
How is it okay, on the one hand, to allow for that kind of deficit and, on the other hand, to put all the eggs in one basket and deal with the debt?
Canadians do not want that. When their house is falling apart and their roof is leaking, they are going to deal with that problem. They are going to fix it and they are going to ensure that they have some money for their kids' education. They are going to try to balance. They are going to mortgage the house, so they can fix the roof and allow for their kids to go do to school.
While we may agree on some things, I hope that I can persuade the Conservatives, today, to look at the possibilities. Together, we should look at this budget process, a democratic process, where we truly agree on what the proper formula should be, not this kind of act foisted upon us with already a set agenda but something that would allow for a meaningful exchange in terms of what should be spent on tax cuts, what should be spent on debt reduction, what amount should be set aside for contingencies, and what we need to do in terms of investing in those critical programs, like education and health care.