Mrs. Speaker, it is important that we all understand the fiscal situation we are in at the present time. The previous government had six consecutive deficit budgets from 2008 to 2014. We do not count deficits in half-year portions. We count a budget year as a budget year, and every indication is that 2014-15 will also be a budget deficit.
The previous government added $150 billion in additional debt to our national debt. It oversaw the loss of 400,000 good-paying jobs in manufacturing and heavy industry and now a further 70,000 in the oil sector. The previous government made a mess of our economic system.
We have a lot of work to do. We have committed to doing that work, and we are going to do it for the majority of Canadians.