Mr. Speaker, it is quite amusing to listen to the parliamentary secretary. He is just dying to have a bullet put in the chamber and put the government out of its misery.
He argues that this is competent management of the nation's finances even though a majority of economists in Canada have criticized the loss of $12 billion in GST revenues. Christopher Ragan, an economist at McGill University, called this “stupid, stupid, stupid”, and, frankly, he is right.
Taking $13 billion and running it down to zero in less than two years is plain stupid. To increase spending by 14.8% in two years is plain stupid. To trash Ontario's economy just when Ontario is on the ropes is stupid. He should listen to the 62% of Canadians who believe that the federal government is hurting its own economy.
You, Mr. Speaker, a member from Ontario, should be worried about that. I appreciate that the member from Alberta may not be worried about it but we from Ontario are.