Mr. Speaker, the member's question gives me a chance to talk about the surplus.
What made Canadians even more angry was the fact that the government announced the $1 billion cut in programs for the needy on the same day it announced a $13 billion surplus. This was an extension of a record of cuts to programs for the needy and other segments of our society that did not have to occur.
The $5 billion Kelowna accord was an historic agreement that could have brought a group of Canadians together, a group that is below average in all sorts of important segments in life such as health, learning, child birth and death. The Kelowna accord was cut, yet there is a $13 billion surplus.
Day care programs were cut. I still have single mothers writing me telling me they cannot go to work because they have no place for their children.
Historic agreements signed with provinces all across the country have been cut.
Our greenhouse gas programs, which would have cut thousands of tonnes of greenhouse gases, were cut. The EnerGuide program, the one tonne challenge and various other renewable energy programs were cut. Some were allowed to expire. All of those programs could have been funded out of that $13 billion surplus. There was no need to make these cuts at this time when we left such a wealthy fiscal inheritance for the government.