Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the speech from the Minister of Public Works and Government Services.
I noted in the budget that there is an estimated $12 billion for our armed forces over the coming few years, which does not replace the money that the Liberals cut from the budget. I know the Minister of Public Works and Government Services was probably the most adamant supporter of the war in Iraq in the entire House of Commons. I am sure he will be a little heartened by that.
I have two specific questions, one with regard to the national missile defence program and one with regard to the Kyoto protocol. I would like to know what the minister's response is on these two issues.
When the minister was in the House but not on that side of the House collecting an extra $48,000 a year as a cabinet minister, he voted against the Kyoto protocol because he said “it was cost jobs in every region of Canada”. Now that we know there is no plan for the Kyoto protocol, is he still opposed to the Kyoto protocol? He voted against it before. The case against it is mounting day by day. That is question one.
My second question two is this. Given the fumbling and bumbling of the government's approach on national missile defence and given that the minister voted in favour of national missile defence, could he comment on what the consequences of us being outside of that and the poor diplomacy that will have on Canadian jobs?