Mr. Chair, like my colleague who just addressed the finance minister, I think that the entire issue of the manufacturing sector in Quebec was completely forgotten in this budget. Before it was tabled, I visited a number of places in my riding, together with my colleague, in order to consult and find out what people expected from the budget. It turned out to be pretty close to what the Bloc was demanding. A little while ago, a Conservative said that I and the hon. member for Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup met with the finance minister and told him what the people of Quebec were concerned about. It was the same thing I had been hearing everywhere in my riding, in Shawinigan, La Tuque or small towns. People definitely did not want to see such a large part of the surplus going to pay down the debt. People clearly needed a large part of these surpluses to go to the manufacturing sector to sustain its workers.
The finance minister said that something like 19,000 jobs were created last month. I am not sure about this figure, but I would like to know how these jobs were distributed. I would like him to tell us a little later where these jobs were created, because I am sure they were not created equitably for all citizens, especially those in Quebec and the regions of Quebec.
I would also like him to revisit one item I could not find in the budget. I have a question for the finance minister. How is it possible that after promising during the last election campaign to make the guaranteed income supplement fully retroactive for our older people, he still has not managed after three budgets to find a way to provide equitable compensation for older people who were done out of the guaranteed income supplement, despite a $12 billion surplus? These people were entitled to it but did not know it. The Conservative Party promised to do this but still has not found a way.
I would like the Minister of Finance to tell us how he has not been able—after three budgets—to find a way to deal with this serious problem for the most disadvantaged seniors in Canada.