Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate my colleague from Saint-Lambert for his excellent speech. I would like him to explain why a government which is currently spending billions of dollars to purchase military equipment has made cuts to programs such as the court challenges program.
I visited maritime Canada with the Standing Committee on Official Languages. People said that if they had not had access to this program, they would not have had the right to schools or many other services. Literacy services were available in these communities because of this program. Status of Women Canada programs have experienced cuts, as have the literacy programs, which were extremely important social programs for people with literacy problems. As well, the government is still refusing to improve the employment insurance program. We could also talk about the POWA program to help older workers.
How can the member explain the government's lack of concern for social problems and for the most vulnerable members of our society?