Mr. Speaker, I welcome the comments from my colleague across the way. I might first say to the hon. member that I did not criticize the hon. member whom I replaced in my riding personally and I have no malice against him whatsoever.
My observations were simple observations. During the 13 years the Liberals represented the people of Halton, there was never a public meeting. There was never an opportunity for a constituent to come to an open and free forum, express opinions to the member, and the member then giving a commitment to bring those opinions back. It is just a simple exercise in direct democracy and I think what the people of Halton were looking for was an opportunity to have a direct input into the system.
I also took issue with the member who preceded me using government funds, House of Commons dollars, to send householders and ten percenters around the riding with giant, red Liberal logos on them. That is a tremendous abuse of public funds. The people in my riding have told me that it was high time they had a member who would deal with their issues other than in a partisan way. That is exactly what I am trying to do.
Second, in answer to his question, the students of Halton, certainly the ones I have talked to, are happy that they are getting something. They are happy they are getting a textbook credit. They are happy that the bursary scholarship money will be free of taxation. These are real issues and real benefits to these people as opposed to promises the Liberals made and never delivered upon.
Not a single benefit for students that was contained in the last Liberal budget was ever implemented and not a single one of those dollars that the member opposite is bragging about ever went into the pocket of a student in my riding. It is just another one of the hollow promises we have heard Liberals make for a long time and those hollow promises are being replaced with true dollars in the pockets of my constituents who need them.