Mr. Speaker, for many maritime Canadians, it is their first exposure to the Minister of Finance, but for Ontarians who suffered under a Conservative right wing ideology in the previous government for years, this is not new. I would like to put to the member the following question.
The Minister of Finance was the minister who hid a $5.6 billion deficit in Ontario and then misled Ontarians about it when he left office. This is the same Minister of Finance who, with his cabinet colleagues at the time, was the government of Walkerton and the government of Ipperwash. This is the same Minister of Finance who stood up and announced that this was the end of bickering on fiscal imbalance in the country, when he has in fact lit brush fires across the country.
For many of our Canadian neighbours, friends and family who live in maritime Canada, this is their first exposure to a right wing, ideological Minister of Finance who cannot be trusted. Perhaps the member can help us understand what the real impact is now on the credibility of the Minister of Finance and the government in our important maritime regions.