Mr. Speaker, the minister has given us a budget. We will be reviewing it with the care and consideration that Canadians and these economic circumstances demand and deserve.
What we do know from the minister is that Canada will face a $34 billion deficit this year. This from the same Minister of Finance who told Canadians before Christmas that our country was in surplus, an astounding reversal from the minister. This from the same government that told us in September that there would not even be a recession in Canada and that falling stock prices meant good buying opportunities, not cause for concern.
We now know we were in deficit and the government delayed in developing a plan for the crisis. We know that 100,000 Canadian jobs have been lost since the government prorogued Parliament rather than act to protect Canadians.
How will the minister explain his inaction to Canadians whose jobs, pensions and savings have vanished while his government has failed to act?