Mr. Speaker, we are here in the House to make decisions. Obviously, when we make certain things a priority, other things have to be set aside. I think that the priorities pertaining to the fight against poverty are important. Canadians decided to elect a Liberal government that announced that it was willing to incur a deficit. The minute the Liberals made big infrastructure promises, they created a lot of expectation in our communities. The two RCMs that I represent invited me to meet with them in the coming weeks, because they have their lists ready. The government created a lot of expectation in our communities. Obviously, we will have difficult choices to make. It is important to always keep that in mind.
Since the member who asked me the question also worked at the municipal level, he knows how difficult it is to set a budget and make choices. Obviously, we hope that the budget will be as balanced as possible. The government announced that there will in fact be a deficit, but it is important to make budgetary choices that will fight poverty and help the municipalities achieve their priorities. We are here to make decisions. The questions that I asked this week have to do with where I think the government's priorities should lie.