Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the member on her speech, but I do detect two problems with it.
First, I, too, represent a riding with many new Canadians, and I totally agree with the idea that one should focus on them. The problem is the budget fails in the moral imperative to reunite families expeditiously. There is nothing more important to a new Canadian than to be reunited as quickly as possible with his or her parents or grandparents who might be 63 years old, and the time it takes keeps going up. It is a moral imperative that this time be reasonable.
Our government had put $700 million into putting in the resources to reduce those waiting times. The Conservative government has simply removed the $700 million. It is absolutely inevitable, therefore, that those waiting times will continue to rise. It has failed in a fundamental moral imperative toward new Canadians, and new Canadians will not forget that.
Second, there is nothing there for competition with India and China. Brain power is essential. Why would the government cut R and D support from our $2.5 billion to its paltry $200 million? The government seems to think the world owes Canada a living. I regret to inform the hon. member that this is not the case.