Madam Speaker, I congratulate the member on his maiden speech. I knew his predecessor, Mr. Roger Valley, very well and I know he worked very hard on behalf of the people of the north, a very excellent member of Parliament.
The member is a new member and it is important that he spend the time to talk about hope for all Canadians, including those in his own riding. However, the reality is we are faced with a severe economic crisis, the full impact of which has not been felt yet. We need to give hope to Canadians.
I thought the member would like to comment on what he saw in terms of a plan on whether we should invest now in areas where maybe we have the best opportunity to create jobs and to provide the lead. Will he make a commitment to the House that he will continue to support the necessary social and income supports for Canadians who are unable to help themselves?