Mr. Speaker, it is true that there have been some fairly sharp exchanges between the premier of Ontario and myself in the past several weeks concerning fiscal and business policy, but I have restrained from calling the premier of Ontario a donkey, unlike the member for York South—Weston.
In terms of fiscal planning and equalization in Canada, it is important that Ontario, as Canada's primary manufacturing economic engine, maintains a GDP per capita that reflects the underlying strength of the Ontario economy.
However, fiscal planning makes a difference, and this is certainly one of the points that we have been trying to advance with the current government of the province of Ontario, which after all is at the beginning of a mandate. High business taxes deter investment. They discourage investment. This is particularly so when provinces that are in competition with Ontario have gone ahead and moved toward lower taxes.
Again, we are encouraging Ontario to strive to remain an economic engine in Canada.