Mr. Speaker, I would like the hon. member to comment on a couple of ideas.
We hear a lot from the party opposite that we have to be disciplined and take the long view. As a matter of fact, the hon. member who got up a few minutes ago said that if we do not pay down the debt at an accelerated pace, we will be hurting future generations.
I think it is a question of balance. We pay down the debt, but we do not slash and burn in the short term simply for ideological reasons.
The party opposite always talks about taking the long view. However, when we look at their policies they are all short term policies that are targeted for short term political purposes and goals. We still do not have a science and technology policy. This is something that we need to build in Canada for the long term.
We do not have a national water policy which is something that we need to protect our economic growth in the long term.
Literacy is very important, especially in a high tech economy. Literacy is very important for long term prosperity. The government slashed literacy. Then we also saw the largest spending budget in Canadian history.
Where is the long term view in the government's approach? Does the government care about the economy, or does it only care about politics?