Mr. Speaker, in the riding of Marc-Aurèle-Fortin, as in the rest of Canada, people are crippled by unemployment. People who lose their jobs often find themselves with no future.
It would have been useful to have a plan to create jobs and measures to modernize our waste water treatment infrastructure and increase public transit in the suburbs, but there is nothing, no effort whatsoever.
What is worse, this budget attacks measures that were helping in combatting the economic downturn. It reduces credit unions' ability to support small business. The Conservatives are also attacking labour-sponsored funds, which support venture capital, and stunting regional economic growth.
Changes to job training will once again force the provinces to do more with less—more austerity and more of the load to carry. Why sabotage something that is working?
If you cannot help, at least do no harm. We needed this ideology-driven budget like we needed a hole in the head.