Debates of Oct. 19th, 2006

Opposition motion—Economic and fiscal position

[The Acting Speaker, Conservative, Royal Galipeau]

The hon. member for Hamilton East—Stoney Creek.

There is a minute and 15 seconds for both the question and the reply

[Wayne Marston, NDP, Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I will be very brief. The motion brought before us today from the member for Markham—Unionville is, to my mind, a further example that the Liberals have lost none of their arrogance. The self-congratulatory message in it is typical.

Earlier today when the member for Winnipeg North was in this House critiquing the Liberal government's past record, there was not one single Liberal present over there. I guess they could not save face by defending themselves--

[An hon. member]

Out of order.

[Wayne Marston, NDP, Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have a question. I am just wondering where all of the Liberal members were. Were they out having a corporate lunch?

[The Acting Speaker, Conservative, Royal Galipeau]

There is half a minute left for the reply.

[Bill Graham, Liberal, Toronto Centre, ON]

I can only assume that members in the House were gathered to shake their heads and wonder how the NDP could stand up with so much shame on their heads for having to put in the most fiscally irresponsible, the most vicious mind cutting government that ever came into power. How does the hon. member dare to stand in his place and make this accusation--

[The Acting Speaker, Conservative, Royal Galipeau]

Resuming debate, the hon. member for Dartmouth--Cole Harbour.

[Michael Savage, Liberal, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS]

Mr. Speaker, I was very much enjoying the comments of our leader. I did not want to interrupt him.

I have the pleasure to speak to this motion with respect to the decision of the government to cut $2 billion, $1 billion this year, to federal programs and organizations.

Canadians are not blind to the actions of the government. They know these cuts were vindictive and were only to serve the Conservatives' narrow vision of the country. Being on the finance committee and touring western Canada last week, being in Ottawa for the last six weeks, and hearing submissions about how people in Canada actually view their country and what holds Canada together, I can say that most Canadians certainly do not share that view.

Let us review the current fiscal situation of the government. On the very day the Conservatives announced cutbacks to those who need government support the most, the government announced a $13 billion surplus.

We have a surplus, no thanks to the Conservatives. The last time they were in office, as was just indicated, they left us a $43 billion deficit and an ever increasing debt.

This year they inherited a surplus, the best economy in decades, the best fiscal situation in the G-8, and the lowest unemployment rate in decades. One would think they would at least listen to whatever remnants of progressives are left over there and show some compassion to the people of Canada.

Cuts are okay. Program review is reasonable and sensible. We have done it in the past ourselves, but we did it so that we could put resources toward the people who needed help, not take it away from them.

These cuts are wrong. They are meanspirited. The majority of them target women's groups, the poor, minority groups, the arts community and the non-profit sector. They are motivated by a narrow ideology and are targeted at programs that are at odds with the political thinking of the government.

One example is the cut to the budget for the status of women. It is no secret that certain elements of the Conservative Party have a different view of the role and status of women than most Canadians, and certainly most Canadian women. Is cutting back a women's organization, like the status of women a matter of cutting costs? I do not think so. It is really meant to send a message to women's groups that Conservatives do not support the progress and the victories that women have achieved over the past number of decades. It is a disgrace.

Women have fought so hard for their rights and equality, and let us not pretend the fight is over. As we look around this chamber we see that the fight is far from over. Yet that funding has been cut.

Next, the Conservatives axed a legal aid program that has helped minority groups and the marginalized defend their rights. The court challenges program introduced under Pierre Elliott Trudeau has proven its value in ways that are immeasurable, resulting in court decisions expanding the rights of Canadian women, the disabled, gays and lesbians, aboriginals and minority language groups. La Fédération acadienne de la Nouvelle-Écosse for example wrote to me last week indicating how much it will feel that loss.

Do the Conservatives take Canadians for fools in suggesting that cutting this program is a case of streamlining administrative expenses? No. It is another example of how the Conservatives distrust some of the fundamental values of Canada, values that include the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

The next cut is to the Canada volunteerism initiative. It is an example of an organization that encourages citizens to participate voluntarily in organizations throughout Canada.

Non-profit volunteer organizations touch on every aspect of Canadian life: health, sport, recreation, environment and cultural sectors. Why would that be gutted? The answer is simple. The Conservatives do not believe in government. They do not believe that government should support organizations like the CVI. They believe that everyone should fend for themselves, a page copied from their Republican friends.

The next cut is to the summer career placement program. All members of the House are familiar with this program which was introduced by a Liberal government. This has employed hundreds of thousands of young Canadians. This past summer more than 45,000 Canadians found meaningful work, often in their field of study thanks to this important initiative and volunteer and community organizations benefited as well. Students were able to gain valuable experience and save money for tuition fees.

The decision to cut the program in half is indefensible. Given the health of the federal government's finances, the program should have been expanded, not gutted.

I have talked with representatives of the Canadian Federation of Students. It has yet to be given a coherent explanation as to why the federal government wants to save a measly $45 million when it has $13 billion to the good.

Again, review is good. Cuts are sometimes necessary. This review is bad.

The next cut is the $17 million from literacy. Cutting $17.7 million from a program that helps millions of Canadians while sitting on a $13 billion surplus just does not make sense.

Literacy Nova Scotia and the Dartmouth Literacy Network, organizations like these put together programs for Canadians who need help and they do it on almost no budget at all, and now literacy has been further cut. The story is the same throughout other provinces and territories. In Nova Scotia seven major projects will not be funded, including a project to support the development and coordination of family literacy through a multitude of agencies and programs. I could go on about the great work that they do.

The next cut is to support for the social economy. In our region a program that was to be delivered through ACOA in support of the social economy was shut down completely. This initiative, which was funded in the 2004 budget, would support businesses and community groups which reach out to marginalized Canadians by giving them jobs or providing other services that help people in our communities. It was abruptly cancelled. I would ask members opposite to talk to some of the cooperatives in their area and ask them what they think of those cuts.

Sadly, the list goes on. As with other cuts, there was no consultation.

Canada today is a vibrant, peaceful and just country. Canadians have worked hard to make it so. Throughout our political history successive Liberal and Progressive Conservative governments have developed policies that value individuals and our communities and recognize that government can and should play a role in our national life.

Even Progressive Conservative Premier Danny Williams of Newfoundland and Labrador called the cuts worrisome and distanced himself from what he referred to as the right-wing federal Conservatives.

Canadians today are seeing what the real agenda is of the government. I suspect many Canadians also wonder what life would be like if the old Progressive Conservatives were still around. The Progressive Conservative Party is dead and its replacement is neither fair nor progressive.

Mahatma Gandhi said that a nation's greatness is measured by how it treats its weakest members. Canadians, in my view, inherently believe that we are all better off when the strong help the weak, that we are all affected by the suffering and the success of each other. We do not believe that government should abdicate its responsibility to the least advantaged. These cuts will hurt Canadians who need help the most. The government should be ashamed.

[Laurie Hawn, Conservative, Edmonton Centre, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I listened with interest to my colleague's comments. Of course I understand it is the Liberals' job to oppose anything we do and that is fine, but I would ask him a couple of direct questions on specific examples.

There is a literacy group in Manitoba which received $353,000 of taxpayers' money, his money and my money, and it had $10,000 worth of deliverables. Is that a good deal? We cut $2.5 million from administration from status of women organizations. That money is going back into action programs that actually help women. Is that not a good idea? There is $150 million of the savings identified as money that was never given to anyone anyway. Is it not a good idea to put that money into programs that actually do something?

Those are just three examples that I would like my hon. colleague to comment on.

[Michael Savage, Liberal, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS]

Mr. Speaker, my colleague's question is reasonable and I appreciate that. When we hear that cuts have been made to administration, it sounds an awful lot like what we heard originally when the EnerGuide program for low income Canadians was cut, or the EnerGuide program overall. We heard that it was administration. In fact, it was not administration; it was actually going in and doing work in homes so that further work could be done. It is the same thing with the cuts that we have heard about here.

I cannot speak to the example he mentioned in Manitoba, but let me refer to a letter from someone in the Annapolis Valley who wrote to me and copied the Prime Minister. He is a director of Literacy Nova Scotia and the Valley County Learning Association and he is a learner as well. He had been in the workforce for 30 years and lost his job because the company closed its doors. He could not find work because he could not write his GED. He was devastated. He lost his job. He thought he was losing his mind. He could not find a full time job, he could not fill out a job application. He found help through the Annapolis Valley Learning Association. Now he says that the literacy programs may end, or they will have to cut back on programs to help learners. This is a travesty. These are real Canadians who are looking for a hand up, not a push down.

The government has misunderstood the generous nature of Canadians and Canadians' belief that this country helps those who need help and does not close the door on them.

[Pat Martin, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the NDP was the first to condemn this series of cuts. However, we have to comment on the hypocrisy of the Liberal opposition motion today.

When the Liberals were in power, they were guilty of far more ruthless cuts with absolutely no consultation. All the same criticisms that they now apply to the Conservative government, we can apply to them in terms of the disproportionate impact on women to many of their cuts and the gender imbalance.

We are critical of the Conservative government for choosing to trim the budget where we do not believe there was any fat left to be trimmed. However, we are incredibly critical of the member's previous government.

I would ask my colleague from Nova Scotia, when his party was in power, what was he saying around the caucus table? What were the Liberals saying around their cabinet table? Were they arguing with the former finance minister when they were contemplating the most conservative right wing agenda in the history of Canada? Were they arguing when they were cutting, hacking, and slashing every social program by which we even define themselves? What were they saying then around the caucus table, or did they save it all for now to be bleeding after the fact and trying to rewrite history?

[Michael Savage, Liberal, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS]

Mr. Speaker, it is not even comparable to compare what the government of 1993 inherited to the government of today. There is no question that there was a reduction in the transfer payments, for example, for health to the provinces. If there had not been, we would not have a public health system today. We would have been bankrupt as a nation.

What the Liberal Party did saved the social infrastructure of Canada. I was not in the caucus at that point in time, but I suspect that they were saying “these are tough cuts, but we've got to do them”. I know that. I was not at that caucus table, but I was at a caucus table in Nova Scotia. My father inherited Conservative deficits as well in 1993 and he had to make changes, changes that he never thought he got into government to do, but he did what he thought was right.

While we were able to invest in the social infrastructure of Canada, we introduced things such as the child tax credit. People attribute the child tax credit to keeping child poverty below where it is. Should it be lower? We would love it to be lower. We are now in a position to make it lower. We now have money in this country to invest in kids and the government is not doing it. That is a shame.

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Lévis—Bellechasse, QC]

Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure this afternoon to talk about the fiscal, budgetary and governmental policies of our government. I would also like to do this with my colleague from Winnipeg South, who is doing remarkable work as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development , and with whom I sit as a member of the standing committee.

Our government, unlike the previous government, respects its commitments. We do what we say and we say what we do. This is something new for people who follow politics because they are used to a party that says one thing and the following day says the opposite while it goes on a spending spree. A change has taken place with the arrival of our new government. We have a responsible government that keeps its promises.

Today is a great day. Not because I am speaking in this House but because we have truly announced an effective policy to combat climate change and to overcome smog. This is what is called sustainable development.

Sustainable development is also economics and it is responsible economics. That is what we are talking about today. We are talking about a government that does not want to leave future generations with a tax burden, with a debt. That is the reality. That is also sustainable development. To achieve that, we must manage our money not as though it was someone else’s money but as though it were our own money.

It is almost a year since the people of Lévis—Bellechasse, Canadians and a great many Quebeckers elected a new government that promised more transparency and greater accountability. The way that government uses public funds is by far the most important aspect of that promise.

Canadians have seen that since we took office. Ask Canadian families, pensioners and businesses. They have more money in their pockets because income taxes and the GST have been reduced. Parents in Saint-Anselme and Saint-Henri who register their children in soccer, hockey, skating and judo programs receive tax credits. We are introducing concrete measures that help Canadians.

However, we also have a responsibility to properly manage the machinery of government. It is normal that the budget should be revised at regular intervals and that unnecessary expenses are cut. That is exactly what we are doing. We can thank the opposition for giving us the opportunity to tell Canadians about our budgetary exercise to cut expenditures on the order of $1.1 billion out of a total budget of more than $200 billion.

Members will agree with me that these are very reasonable cuts, in fact very modest, amounting to barely 0.5%. Still, this is a big difference from the previous government. We know that in the last five years, total program expenditures had risen by an average of 8.2% per year. For 2004-2005 alone, expenditures rose 14.4%.

What does a 14.4% a year increase in the federal budget represent? Had the population increased by 14.4%? Did Canadian taxpayers receive 14.4% more services? The answer is obvious. And yet we had to pay that money out. Unfortunately, we know that the previous government had the annoying habit of also cutting transfers to the provinces. There were increased expenditures, but less money for the people who really needed it.

Yes, we said it and we have done it. In the election campaign we made the commitment to make budget cuts, and we have done so responsibly. This shocks people somewhat. Some people who were used to being here for so long thought it was their money.

Let us talk about the Federal Accountability Act. Our first piece of legislation will create new and significant checks and balances. Parliament and Canadians will be able to see better where taxpayers’ money, our money, is being spent, and what the connection is between how it is being used and what measurable results are achieved.

Where do we stand today? There are some people here, on the other side of the House, and their colleagues in the Senate, who are delaying passage of that bill. What is the Senate waiting for to pass the Federal Accountability Act? Maybe, with that piece of legislation, it will be more difficult to set up projects that lead to sponsorship scandals?

Even more recently we learned that public servants had been lent to parties for political purposes, to hold phantom positions.

We need laws that will protect the public’s money. I hope that the Senate will abide by the wishes of Canadians.

The government is honouring the commitment it made in the budget. Treasury Board announced it on September 25, 2006, to save money in two very simple ways: through tighter and more disciplined management of spending—something we started to do as soon as we took office—and by applying the results of the program review we did over the summer. We are looking at which of our programs, and where, it is possible to cut, ensuring that we get results, that we optimize the use of resources and that we adhere to the priorities of Canadians.

One thing that our friends from Quebec will be particularly happy about is that we are a responsible government that respects the jurisdictions of the federal and provincial governments. We have a Constitution; let us abide by it.

The President of the Treasury Board has worked with the officials in his department, who have worked hard, and has consulted with ministers to identify departmental programs and expenditures that do not meet the criteria in the recent budget.

What did we do over the summer? We cut unused funds. We ensured that programs were optimized and that the administrative cuts were rationalized and consolidated. As I said earlier, we dealt with programs that were not in keeping with the priorities of Canadians.

I will provide a few examples of the cuts that were made to the Treasury Board portfolio. The previous government had decided to spend another $20 million in support for regional ministers. There is already a $3.8 million fund, and we think that is enough. It is unnecessary, therefore, to allocate these additional funds in the current budget. Eliminating this funding enables us to save $18.5 million of the taxpayers’ money.

Reducing the funding for the Public Service Human Resources Management Agency of Canada program should generate more than $83 million in savings.

At the end of the year, taxpayers may not have felt the difference, but they will feel it in their wallets. Insofar as program delivery is concerned, these kinds of cuts do not have any effect on citizens. Some cuts eliminated funding that had been allocated by the previous government but was superfluous to what was really needed to carry out certain classification activities deemed necessary. There is nothing so far to make a fuss about here.

We will save more than $9 million by reducing low-priority training for federal employees at the Canada School of Public Service. I was a public servant myself and can say that I benefited from wonderful working conditions. The school now has an $89 million budget for its programs. It is important to have competent, well-trained public servants. It is possible to do so. When we speak about low priority, it can hardly be denied that cuts are very possible in light of the situation of Canadian families that need us to manage their money responsibly.

Henceforth, the government will ensure that judicious expenditures become the norm by subjecting all new and existing programs to systematic, rigorous review. This is an exercise that will often have to be repeated because priorities change, needs change and society evolves. Our government will only approve funding that is really necessary in order to efficiently achieve measurable results, while optimizing resources. Canadians are entitled to expect accountable government.

Thanks to these initiatives, the new government will provide significantly greater transparency and accountability and optimized use of resources in all areas of federal government expenditure. Canadians expect nothing less. That is why this initiative is at the heart of the government’s management program.

In a word, I gave the House a statistic to remember: in 2004-05, spending grew by 14.4% in a single year. That is a lot. We can support some growth, but it is important to maintain cross-generational equity. To do this, we must bequeath good management to future generations and ensure that the debt burden is reduced.

In conclusion, I say to the families, businesses and pensioners in Lévis—Bellechasse that our government is continuing to take care of the disadvantaged, minorities and immigrants and that, in contrast to the previous government, we manage money as if it were ours and yours.

[Louise Thibault, Bloc, Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member for Lévis—Bellechasse just said that measurable results were achieved. I would like the member to first explain how the costs and benefits of the cuts were evaluated. How was the impact on Canadians measured? He just said this is nothing to make a fuss about.

I find that insulting to Canadians.

Then, regarding the elimination of unused funds, perhaps the member could explain why his Conservative government was unable to spend $25 million on the textile and clothing industry, which is very vulnerable at this time, $50 million on the Northwest Territories, $20 million on Fisheries and Oceans programs to support the salmon industry in New Brunswick, and $14 million on the Canadian Food Inspection Agency? We all know that Canadians everywhere face threats ranging from diseases in potatoes to avian flu to mad cow.

I would like the member to respond.

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Lévis—Bellechasse, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question. I realize that it is much easier to announce new spending than to rationalize and make cuts. Our government promised to introduce accountability, which is what we are doing with the utmost rigour and diplomacy.

I would also like to quote to the hon. member what was said about the Canadian government surplus:

There is a strong temptation for any government that has money to spend it, to make many promises that are politically convenient and to choose inaction over unpopular fiscal responsibility.

Thus, my answer to my colleague is that we just announced measures to help older workers, but there are many needs to consider and we must balance the needs of Canadians with the fiscal capacity of taxpayers.

[John Cannis, Liberal, Scarborough Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I listened very carefully to what the member for Lévis—Bellechasse had to said. He pointed out two things: first, to put more money into the pockets of Canadians; and, second, the GST. I am really puzzled.

First, in the last budget of the Liberals, which the NDP helped defeat, income taxes were lowered from 15.5% to 15%. The Conservative's first budget increased them to 15.5%. Is 15% lower or higher than 15.5%?

My second question is on the GST. When an average family earns $40,000 a year gross and their take-home money is at $35,000, it would in essence have to spend all the $35,000 to save $350. I do not know what families will do to pay their mortgages or other expenses. Could the member perhaps comment on that?

In essence, in the last budget of the Liberals, the savings to an average Canadian in tax reduction was about $450. Could the member comment on that?

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Lévis—Bellechasse, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for the question.

It is always good news for taxpayers when the budget is balanced and income tax and other taxes are reduced. We did both in our budget, that is we reduced income tax and other taxes; the budget proposed by our colleague only reduced income tax.

There has been also a change in mentality. Our government also promised to recognize the imbalance in the Canadian federation and the importance of ensuring that cuts are not made to the detriment of municipal and provincial governments. In fact, people forget that cuts have a direct impact on the bill presented to citizens, otherwise known as the municipal tax bill. That is what has changed. La Presse stated:

But the big change in doctrine is that the Conservatives do not view public funds as their own. Rather they believe that the money belongs to citizens who pay taxes—

[An hon. member]

That's right.

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Lévis—Bellechasse, QC]

Mr. Stenven Blaney:

—and that it should be spent prudently.

[The Acting Speaker, Conservative, Royal Galipeau]

The hon. member for Alfred-Pellan should know that there remain 30 seconds for the question and answer.

[Robert Carrier, Bloc, Alfred-Pellan, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I understood from the presentation of my colleague from Lévis—Bellechasse that he respects provincial jurisdiction.

I will ask him what he thinks about the fiscal imbalance that deprives Quebec alone of $3.9 billion per year. If his government is so concerned with respecting jurisdiction, should its priority not be to solve the fiscal imbalance as it promised?

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Lévis—Bellechasse, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I will be brief. I invite my colleague to support the next Conservative budget.

[Rod Bruinooge, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the House for this opportunity to voice my support for our strategy to save $1 billion of Canadians hard-earned money. I am proud to stand behind these measures.

In some cases hon. members of the opposition need reminding that managing the public's money is about making wise choices and spending responsibly, ensuring the maximum return on taxpayer investments. Canadians put their trust in us, when they signed on to our election platform, to restore transparency and accountability in dealing with public money. We made it clear throughout the campaign that responsible spending was a cornerstone of accountable government. We do not make idle promises. We stick with our convictions and follow through on our commitments.

In budget 2006 we pledged to review our programs to ensure every taxpayer dollar would spent achieve results, provide value for money and meets the needs of Canadians. Just as the economy and society are evolving, so too must the way government invests in economic and social programming. Through a careful spending review, we have identified a number of opportunities to improve efficiency, strengthen results and sharpen accountability in line with Canadians expectations. As columnist John Ibbitson recently wrote in the Globe and Mail, “The Tories are acting with commendable fiscal responsibility”.

Most grants and contributions are not affected either. In cases where they are, all signed contribution agreements will be honoured. Statutory programs are not in any way affected by these measures, vital programs like employment insurance, the Canada pension plan, and student loans.

We have focused our attention on spending that was not meeting the needs of Canadians as effectively as it could. We have looked for opportunities to better manage investments and to reduce or eliminate expenditures where concrete results were simply not there.

It seems the opposition has not grasped that responsible management of the public purse does not mean simply spending for the sake of spending. It means putting money where it counts and working with partners across the country to maximize results for Canadians in need. For instance, the social development partnerships program will invest $139.6 million over the next five years to work with national and community-based non-profit organizations. Support and collaboration on key social issues for children, families, people with disabilities and other vulnerable groups in Canadian society. We are focusing on investments that matter to real people.

The opposition has spent a lot of time attacking the government for its commitment to better and more effective investments in learning and literacy. With a budget of $81 million over the next two years, Canada's new government will be working with partners across the country to put in place innovative and results-focused projects to help meet learning and literacy challenges. We want federal funds to complement the important investments in literacy by provinces, municipalities and organizations. We welcome the opportunity to work with all levels of government and literacy organizations across the country to strengthen our literacy programming and ensure it is effective and meaningful for all Canadians.

The Government of Canada will continue to foster partnerships and dialogue to support adult learning, literacy and essential skills, while respecting the roles of all levels of government. We need to keep in mind that this $81 million investment is just one component of an array of federal investments that support literacy, training and skills development. These include programs through employment insurance that help Canadians who lose their jobs to develop the skills they need to re-enter the labour force.

We are working with industry sector councils on projects that identify and develop the literacy and essential skills we need to keep our economy competitive. We are helping students succeed in post-secondary education through our Canada student loan program and have recently introduced changes that will make this program available to more Canadians than ever before.

As these examples make clear, there can be no question that the government continues to be strongly committed to providing effective and meaningful support to Canadians.

I would like to take this opportunity to highlight the money that Human Resources and Social Development Canada has invested, which is close to $1 billion annually, in programs targeting the needs of youth at risk, Canadians with disabilities, and aboriginal Canadians. These are important investments and we are proud to be working with partners across the country to ensure our programs are meeting the needs of Canadians.

While we have ended the training centre infrastructure fund, I want to point out that our government is investing $1 billion in infrastructure for post-secondary education and training. This will help keep our universities and colleges among the best in the world, giving Canadian students tremendous opportunities to succeed and to invite students from around the world to come to Canada as a study destination committed to educational excellence.

To help meet the need for skilled trades, we are also providing significant new support for apprenticeships, including a new $1,000 apprenticeship investment grant. We will no longer be providing support to Workplace Partners Panel. However, we are continuing and, in fact, expanding our collaboration with business and labour on issues of national importance, for example, through sector councils that are focusing on preparing Canada to meet the challenges of the global economy.

We value the views and advice of business and labour organizations. For example, we are seeking the advice of business communities on how to implement our child care spaces initiative. The government recognizes that consultation is more than just institutions and reports. We want to listen, share ideas and, together, find new ways to build a more vibrant, inclusive and innovative Canada.

Again, I remind the House, as the TD Bank Financial Groups' Chief Economist Don Drummond has noted, the spending cuts are relatively minor. They represent only 6% of the overall cost of new initiatives announced in the May budget. They are only 0.5% of total program spending.

Editorial writers for the Ottawa Citizen wrote:

It is an improvement on what Canadians had come to expect from Liberals, who would have seen opportunities to spend on other things instead....it's hard to argue against saving ourselves millions in future interest payments.

The government will not apologize for respecting Canadians and their hard-earned tax dollars. We will not be cowed by opposition demands for ever increasing spending without responsibility or accountability, and our government is about this. We are about, respect, results, accountability, and we have shown this time and time again. We are delivering on our promises and we are keeping the best interests of Canadians front and centre.

[Lloyd St. Amand, Liberal, Brant, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I listened with interest to the speech of the member opposite. What I hear from my constituents is that by and large the government has figured out the price or the cost of things not badly, although it yet has work to do on that. However, when it comes to the actual value of services and programs, my constituents are telling me the government is falling very short.

What about the cuts to museums? How is it possible to put a price or a cost on preserving Canada's rich history? The government seems intent on putting a price only on our museums with no regard whatsoever for the value of those museums.

Could the member comment on that?

[Rod Bruinooge, Conservative, Winnipeg South, MB]

Mr. Speaker, over much of the last decade, we in the museum community have been asking for a new museum policy. I am glad the Minister of Canadian Heritage has committed to bring forward a new museum policy. I look forward to seeing her work in that area.

Like I have said already today, the dollars spent by the government need to be considered in a way that accounts for their most effective use. Despite the subject matter of a particular program, we need to identify whether it is in fact achieving what it set out to achieve. This is the key element that was considered in all of our revisions to these various budgets. As such, we have done what we said we would do. I am very proud of the work the President of the Treasury Board has done and all members on this side.