Debates of April 11th, 2016

Financial Statement of Minister of Finance

[Francis Scarpaleggia, Liberal, Lac-Saint-Louis, QC]

Madam Speaker, I would note that the government will be investing over $440 million to enhance the Canada Revenue Agency's ability to detect, audit, and prosecute tax evasion, and that will result in a twelvefold increase in the number of tax schemes examined by the CRA. Is that not a good return on investment?

[Kerry Diotte, Conservative, Edmonton Griesbach, AB]

Madam Speaker, I think the hon. member over there is probably talking to the member over here about that. Obviously, most Canadians want everybody to pay their fair share of taxes.

Speaking of taxes, the problem with the budget is that the government is extracting so many taxes from the wallet, picking the pockets of Canadians. That is the real crime here. That is the overriding crime.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Madam Speaker, the member premised his whole speech on the fact that the Conservatives are concerned about the deficit, and I would argue that his speech was factually incorrect. I would ask the member if he would at the very least acknowledge that the Conservatives did in fact inherit a surplus and they converted it into a deficit. That is a reality. That is a fact. This government inherited a deficit. Again, that is a reality. That is a fact.

[Kerry Diotte, Conservative, Edmonton Griesbach, AB]

Madam Speaker, I would just say no.

[Cathy McLeod, Conservative, Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC]

Madam Speaker, it is an opportunity for me to stand up today and speak to the 2016 budget.

However, I do have to overlay two significant events. It was only about two days ago that it was the second anniversary of the tragic and early passing of former minister Flaherty. I remember him in 2009, when we had the worst global recession in Canadian history. He committed to a stimulus plan. I remember him standing up at the time and saying we would spend this much money, that it would be targeted and invested in infrastructure. He had a clear plan to get back to a balanced budget. I have to contrast this to the current plan that is sitting before us. It is really quite shameful, and Canadians should be very concerned.

This plan is full of broken promises. The Liberal government said that the debt would be no more than $10 billion. It is going to be much larger than $10 billion. It had committed to having a plan to get back to balanced budget, and it has not done that. It committed to transparency, and the Parliamentary Budget Officer and the former parliamentary budget officer have said that transparency in the document is absolutely shameful.

It indicated that the middle class was struggling and that it was a real issue, with what I would call misleading graphs. Since 2005, the middle class have done exceptionally well in Canada, in spite of how the Liberals have portrayed the struggles of the middle class. That is very ingenious, for sure.

It is interesting. We have had two weeks back at home, and as I walked in downtown Kamloops, people came up to me and said please tell the Liberals to stop spending my money. That happened a number of times.

However, where I want to focus the majority of my remarks today is on chapter 3. That is where the Liberals are articulating the additional planned spending of $8.4 billion to support indigenous people and indigenous communities.

I want to say upfront that we support those dollars. We very clearly support the investments. All we need is to hear of the horrific situation in Attawapiskat, with the suicides that are happening, or we look at the Pikangikum fire. We see the pictures of those beautiful young children who lost their lives in a fire due to overcrowding, in clearly what could have been a preventable situation. In Kashechewan, they had an infectious outbreak, which in most communities would have had more rapid attention and would have been better controlled. With our history of colonialism and residential schools, we have communities in significant and clear trouble that need support.

Although we do support the dollars, we have real concerns about how this is going to happen. Our concerns focus in three areas. One area is transparency. I will go into a little detail with each of these. On transparency and accountability, throughout the chapter they talk about a transformative agenda. I would say it is not, because it is more program spending. I will get into some details there. It certainly is a transactional budget. It might have some significant needs that are going to be met, but I did not see transformation, which clearly is going to be something we need.

At the same time that the government is proposing $8.4 billion in new spending, it absolutely eviscerated the First Nations Financial Transparency Act. I will quote the Prime Minister, and then I need to ask why it does not also apply to our first nations communities. He said:

We have also committed to set a higher bar for openness and transparency in government. It is time to shine more light on government to ensure it remains focused on the people it serves. Government and its information should be open by default. If we want Canadians to trust their government, we need a government that trusts Canadians.

Those are very fine words, but they have let the first nations community members down, and it is absolutely appalling.

I have heard the arguments about why this act should have been eviscerated, and I think the arguments do not hold water. One of them was that they have business interests and they are going to be shared widely. There are two things to say there.

The first thing is that if we go into the actual audited statements, one line, “a shareholder”—and I would argue that community members are shareholders—gets much more information that was in maybe one line as we go through these whole reports. Therefore, the argument that it would impact business interests is absolutely false.

The other thing we have heard regularly is that the Department of Aboriginal Affairs gets this information, the minister has the information, so that is good enough. I am sorry, but that is not good enough. That goes directly against what the Prime Minister has said. This is about the people in the community having access to the information of how their leaders are spending the money that is given to them.

Earlier, the minister indicated that they just have to ask and not many people are asking, so it is not really a problem. Why should a band member have to go into a band office to ask for information or have to go to the minister? It should be out there. It should be transparent.

I do not think that we are alone. Often the newspapers are not always our friends, but let me have a quick run through some headlines.

There is “8.4 billion reasons to require oversight”. That was The London Free Press.

“Accountability must be a priority” was from Saskatoon's The StarPhoenix.

The Calgary Herald, I think when it was looking at the decision to gut this act, said, “Choosing to turn a blind eye to their spending is a politically motivated sop..”.

Another one, from the Vancouver Sun, was “Spending transparency should accompany new money...say critics”.

Certainly, I think we are not the only ones saying this.

A number of band members have come to me privately. A few have been willing to go more public. They are saying the same thing. They are saying they should have the right to basic information that one can get from any other level of government.

The B.C. regional chief said he did not have any problems with the legislation, that they have a history of transparency. I agree there are many bands that have a very good history of transparency. However, then he said that some chiefs did not like the imposition of it.

If there were an MP in this House or in the Senate, or an MLA or a mayor, who said they do not want to share information because it is an imposition, I think it would be an incredible injustice to the people of the communities.

That is one of our biggest concerns. At the same time that there is $8.4 billion to do incredibly important things to improve the lives of community members, there is no accountability to the community members themselves. That is a huge problem.

The other thing I did not see, and hopefully as the plans evolve we are going to see more, is on the accountability. The money for first nations' education is incredibly important. The Liberals said they had committed I think $3 billion for home care, and they said it was not in this budget because they had not worked out the plan with the provinces. They said they could not put it in there because they had not worked out the plan.

They have not worked out the plan around education, but they put in the money, so why the different standards? The money absolutely needs to go for education, but where are the standards? Where is the accountability? Where is the plan?

Again, I wish I could talk a bit about the difference between transformational and transactive, but I would like to conclude by saying that I cannot support the budget overall. I do support $8.4 billion, but, please, let us put in measures around transparency, accountability, and true transformation in terms of the fiscal relationship between Canada and the indigenous people of our country.

[Fayçal El-Khoury, Liberal, Laval—Les Îles, QC]

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for her speech. I heard her say that people go to her office complaining, and saying please ask the Liberals not to spend money. However, I can assure her that in my riding and at my office, people are coming to thank the government for investing money.

My question for the hon. member is this. If this historical investment in green infrastructure, in protecting our environment, and in our social housing does not create jobs, what will create jobs on the other side of the House in their agenda?

[Cathy McLeod, Conservative, Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC]

Madam Speaker, one of the best job creators that is right there on the doorstep waiting to happen is the energy east pipeline: billions of dollars, Canadian steel, Canadian workers, Canadian product.

I am very proud of our previous government's record in terms of infrastructure. It is a very interesting fact to note that the Liberals talked about water for first nations communities and how important it is. In actual fact, we spent more dollars in terms of improving water in first nations communities, and we did all that and balanced the budget.

[Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet, NDP, Hochelaga, QC]

Madam Speaker, my colleague is probably aware that residential construction costs have risen sharply. This is due in large part to the cost of materials. The Liberals promised to cut the GST on construction materials to boost rental housing construction, but that is yet another broken promise. Does she think the Liberals should have cut the GST to help with new rental housing construction?

[Cathy McLeod, Conservative, Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC]

Madam Speaker, certainly the cost of housing, especially in places like British Columbia, in Vancouver, is of significant concern. I have three children in their twenties who in the next few years might be looking at purchasing their first home. One of the tools that my children were using when they had opportunities at different times to invest was a TFSA. Their TFSAs were intended to ultimately provide maybe a down payment on a home. Certainly, moving that limit back to $5,000, for youth throughout this country who might have a small inheritance and want to protect it until they are ready, is another example of what was poor policy within this budget.

[Mark Strahl, Conservative, Chilliwack—Hope, BC]

Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo for her excellent work on this file and for the compassion that she shows for all British Columbians and certainly for indigenous peoples in her riding and across the province.

I wanted to talk a bit about the funding that is in the budget. Again, our government when we were on that side of the aisle made unprecedented investments in first nations communities. However, what we said was that when it came for instance to first nations education, increased funding would not replace reform, that the system was broken and was not serving the students, the parents, nor the communities that it was designed to serve, and that the answer was to reform the system at the same time as making investments in it.

I would like the member to comment on the difference in approach from our previous government insisting that there be reforms before those investments of $1.9 billion were made. Could she talk about what is missing in this budget?

[Cathy McLeod, Conservative, Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC]

Madam Speaker, that goes right back to the accountability piece, and I have to again draw the contrast. The money for home care, the Liberals claim is not in the budget because they did not have the plan and they did not know what was happening. The money for first nations is in the budget, although they do not have a plan. Again, accountability and important dollars are absolutely critical for improving the first nations education system, but again a structure and a plan are clearly lacking.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

Order. It is my duty, pursuant to Standing Order 38, to inform the House that the questions to be raised tonight at the time of adjournment are as follows: the hon. member for Essex, International Trade; the hon. member for Brantford—Brant, Finance.

Resuming debate. The hon. Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs.

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs]

Madam Speaker, I will be splitting my time today with the member for Laval—Les Îles.

I would first like to acknowledge that we are on the traditional territory of the Algonquin people.

I am proud to rise to speak to budget 2016 and the historic investments we are proposing for indigenous peoples.

This budget is about taking a fundamentally new approach and charting a new course for Canada for indigenous peoples and for the north. The government is absolutely committed to renewing the relationship between the crown and indigenous peoples in Canada on a foundation of recognition of rights, respect, co-operation, and partnership.

Coast to coast to coast we have heard gratitude that the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance have ensured that budget 2016 has now put real action behind those words.

National Chief Perry Bellegarde said:

This budget invests in important priorities for First Nations and all Canadians. Investments in housing, clean water, education, and child welfare will bring long-needed relief for those living in third world conditions, and build a stronger economy for everyone.

Clément Chartier said:

I am pleased that there has been an unprecedented recognition of and allocation of funds for the Métis Nation.

ITK President Natan Obed said:

It is a positive change to see Inuit as well as specific Inuit regions recognized in the budget text.

We know that top-down, made-in-Ottawa solutions simply do not work. In 1975, in the status of women report “Speaking Together”, Northwest Territories leader Nellie Cournoyea stated, “Paternalism has been a total failure.” Unfortunately, it is still true.

Effective solutions will only be developed through working in full partnership with indigenous communities and leadership and by supporting indigenous-led approaches.

To support this essential engagement, budget 2016 invests $96 million over five years and $10 million thereafter to support the work of indigenous representative organizations.

The historic investments in budget 2016 will help us to turn the page and begin a new chapter in the relationship between the government and indigenous peoples in Canada.

As we move forward together, we must close the unacceptable gaps in social and economic outcomes between indigenous and non-indigenous peoples in Canada.

As a critical first step towards closing these gaps, budget 2016 lifts the existing 2% cap and invests $8.4 billion over five years to improve the socio-economic conditions of indigenous peoples and their communities.

In addition to this important first step, we will work in full partnership to establish a new fiscal relationship that gives indigenous communities sufficient, predictable, and sustained funding.

These long-needed investments in favour of indigenous peoples and their communities will benefit all Canadians.

Indigenous peoples in Canada are the youngest and fastest growing part of the population. Education is critical to opening doors and providing opportunity. Unfortunately, chronic underfunding of the first nations education system has held students back.

Currently, only 38% of first nations people aged 18 to 24 living on reserve have completed high school, compared to 87% of other Canadians.

We cannot leave yet another generation of indigenous youth behind. That is why budget 2016 invests $2.6 billion over five years in primary and secondary education for first nations children living on reserve. This funding will include language and cultural programming, reflecting the unique circumstances and needs of first nations children.

We will also respect first nations control over first nations education and will never act unilaterally on this issue.

As I have said, we will work nation-to-nation, in partnership, to help first nations achieve their goals and to support first nations-led initiatives.

We know that the students' achievement, health and well-being also depend on the quality of their school. That is why we will also provide nearly $1 billion over five years to improve education buildings and facilities on reserve.

In addition, the National Framework on Early Learning and Child Care will allow us to determine the best approach to providing quality early learning and child care on reserve.

Budget 2016 would provide $100 million in 2017-18 to enhance indigenous early learning and child care. We know that child and family services on reserve must also be totally overhauled and we are committed to working with Cindy Blackstock, the AFN, the First Nations Child & Family Caring Society of Canada, and the provinces and territories to design a system that will work for first nations children and keep their families together. As a start, we will provide nearly $635 million over five years to the first nations child and family services program, with the goal of proactive support for children and their families rather than intervening once harm has occurred.

This budget will also make tremendous strides in developing public infrastructure to improve the quality of life of indigenous peoples. As a pillar of inclusive economic growth, infrastructure investments in indigenous communities will help create jobs and enhance the quality of life of first nations and Inuit communities.

We will invest $1.2 billion in support of social infrastructure in first nations, Inuit, and northern communities, part of the first days of the government's long-term infrastructure plan. It is an unfortunate reality that many first nations people on reserve live with inadequate housing and overcrowding. There will be $554.3 million provided over two years to address the most urgent housing needs on reserve. This, however, is only a first step.

We will also work with first nations communities over the coming year on a long-term approach to support the construction and maintenance of housing on reserve, in line with the needs of those communities.

The need for housing is also high in northern and Inuit communities. That is why those communities will receive up to $177.7 million over two years through the CMHC investment in affordable housing initiative.

First nations also expect, as do all Canadians, access to safe, clean, and reliable drinking water. They should never have to worry that the water flowing through their taps might endanger their families' health. Budget 2016 provides $2.24 billion to first nations communities to improve on-reserve water infrastructure and waste management. This funding will support our commitment to put an end to long-term boil water advisories on reserve within five years. Infrastructure funding will also include $10.4 million over three years to support the renovation and construction of new shelters for victims of family violence in first nations communities.

Language is an expression of identity and a way to transmit values, beliefs, and stories from generation to generation.

We also understand that an individual's secure, personal, cultural identity is the foundation upon which success is built. While we work in partnership with indigenous communities to establish long-term and sustainable funding to support the promotion, preservation and enhancement of indigenous language, we have extended funding for the aboriginal language initiative.

These historic advancements in indigenous peoples in northern communities will facilitate transformational change and support a prosperous shared future. This budget represents concrete action to renew the relationship between the crown and indigenous people in Canada on a foundation of recognition of rights, respect, co-operation, and partnership. For the benefit of indigenous peoples, for northerners, and for all Canadians, I urge all members to support this budget.

[Cathy McLeod, Conservative, Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC]

Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the minister for her speech and what truly are some good measures in the budget.

I also want to refer to the comments of her leader, who said, “We have also committed to set a higher bar for openness and transparency in government. It is time to shine more light on government to ensure it remains focused on the people it serves”.

Earlier in question period, the minister said that if first nations community members wanted to know something, they could ask her, or they could perhaps go to the band office and ask. To me and I think most people in Canada, shining a light means having that information proactively disclosed in an easy manner so that people do not have to ask and it is readily and easily accessible.

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, Toronto—St. Paul's, ON]

Madam Speaker, I draw to the member's attention the fact that in most of the first nations communities across the country the audited statements are proactively disclosed to all of their members. In the few where that is not the case, it is possible for those members to receive that information from our department, but that number is remarkably small.

We believe in transparency and accountability, and so do first nations. That is why in the Kelowna accord the proposal of a first nations auditor general was put forward. We were very disappointed that the previous government tore that agreement up.

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Madam Speaker, as the minister knows, the missing and murdered women inquiry is a significant initiative that the government has undertaken. In my community, where the missing and murdered indigenous women and girls coalition was founded some 26 years ago, we have high hopes and dreams for the reality of the inquiry to come forward to address these historical issues.

Incorporated in that, the coalition has nine points to which I hope the minister can commit to incorporating into the inquiry. This includes ensuring that this is a national, as opposed to a federal, inquiry; that we recognize violence against indigenous women and girls must be the central focus of the inquiry; that it acknowledge the national inquiry should feature and its findings be informed by an analysis of closed, not investigated and/or partially investigated cases; that we support the meaningful participation of indigenous women and those who work with and advocate for the women; that it provides for effective supports to ensure that each family has the opportunity to participate in the inquiry; that it ensures the national inquiry is focused on systemic causes of discrimination rooted in Canadian institutions and government practices and policies, while taking into account social and economic factors that put indigenous women and girls at greater risk such as poverty, inadequate housing, over criminalization, inadequate access to detox and addiction treatment programs, failure to the child welfare system, and the systematic de-funding of women and indigenous women's organizations and leadership—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

Order, please. I am sorry there is just not enough time to read everything into the record and we only have a very limited time for the question.

The hon. Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs.

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, Toronto—St. Paul's, ON]

Madam Speaker, I thank the member for her ongoing leadership on the issue of violence against women, particularly in the very difficult downtown eastside of Vancouver. The work that the coalition has done is truly important. I am pleased to report that all the provinces and territories have agreed to participation and full co-operation, which means this can be a truly national public inquiry, not just a federal one.

All of the issues around including indigenous women, families, and their advice is very much taken to heart as we are now in the process of writing the terms of reference for the commission and being able to choose the kind of leadership for the commission that I think the member will support.

[Fayçal El-Khoury, Liberal, Laval—Les Îles, QC]

Madam Speaker, it is a great privilege for me to address the House today. This is a precious moment because it is my opportunity to thank the people of Laval—Les Îles for trusting me to represent them here in the House of Commons. I truly appreciate it. I will do my utmost to serve the people of Laval—Les Îles, and I will do everything in my power to meet their expectations.

As I stand in the House as a proud Canadian citizen, I shall represent with dignity and honour all of my Laval—Les Îles riding constituents.

As we begin a new mandate and enter a new era, this budget is even more important for Canada because it puts an end to the Conservative government's regressive policies, which were rejected by a majority of Canadians.

This budget and this new government are marking a new era. This budget is in keeping with the tradition of Liberal policies that have made this country one of the greatest places to live, and for good reason. I would like to highlight what I see as the most important social measure outlined in this budget. This measure will affect many of my constituents, as well as nearly all families with children in Canada.

The Canada child benefit, or CCB, is much more generous than the Conservatives' benefit. First of all, it is tax free. Furthermore, this money will go directly into the pockets of Canadians. Beginning in July, it will help nine out of 10 Canadian families improve the quality of life of hundreds of thousands of children in Canada.

The CCB will boost our economy by injecting $5.4 billion a year into it, beginning this July. The multiplier effects of this spending by Canadian households will lead to job creation and sustained economic activity month after month after month.

In practical terms, this social measure will give a single mother over $6,000 a year tax free, or over $500 a month. This social measure lives up to our Canadian tradition of sharing, as well as the excellent reputation Canada enjoyed for its social measures when I first arrived in this country.

As we know, as soon as our government came to power it cut the taxes for the middle class. In fact, the second personal income tax rate, that of the middle class, dropped from 22% to 20.5%. This measure affects almost nine million taxpayers and provides a general tax reduction. Since December 2015, this measure has resulted in a net addition of $1.4 billion a year to our Canadian economy.

These two measures alone will inject $6.8 billion into our economy by targeting a majority of Canadians with immediate measures to give them more money. The government is using a strategy that will immediately stimulate the economy, create more jobs in the short term, and improve the quality of life for low-income Canadians.

The genius of this budget lies in the short-, medium-, and long-term measures that will restructure and kick-start our economy.

The Minister of Finance is making available to Canadians $120 billion over 10 years for infrastructure projects, or nearly $15 billion for the next five years. Beginning this year, several billions of dollars will help stimulate Quebec's economy, which has slowed. The money remained in federal coffers for too long because of a lack of projects.

I plan to work with the City of Laval so that we can quickly submit infrastructure projects that the people of Laval and their mayor, Marc Demers, want.

There are three reasons why I want to act quickly. First, the Government of Canada will finance up to 50% of Laval's priorities. Second, our water and waste water systems are a priority for both the Minister of Finance and the Laval municipal administration. Third, the Government of Canada's 50% contribution will only be available for three years. That is forcing us to act quickly.

Investments in cultural, road, and public transit infrastructure are also needed in order to improve the quality of life of my constituents in Laval. I am also thinking of such projects as the subway extension to Montmorency and the extension from Côte-Vertu to Laval, which would reduce traffic congestion and the greenhouse gas emissions associated with it.

These projects mean that my colleagues from Laval and I need to show leadership so that our region gets its fair share of the infrastructure investments promised in this budget over the next few years.

The Table régionale de concertation des aînés de Laval reminded me that Laval is one of the cities with the highest proportions of people aged 65 and over. Many of these residents have asked me to be their spokesperson. They have urgent needs, including home care services, medical services, paratransit, and income support. Many of them are in a precarious position and are also calling for affordable housing.

I am pleased that this budget already meets some of their needs. The guaranteed income supplement will be increased to nearly $1,000 a year for single seniors. Old age security and the guaranteed income supplement will be indexed to consumer price inflation and the cost of living. The age of eligibility for the guaranteed income supplement will be 65, contrary to the previous Conservative government's plan to increase it to 67.

Along the same lines, my government has also already announced that it will work with the provinces to improve the Canada pension plan. I hope that I will soon have the opportunity to announce more generous pensions.

It is clear that the Liberal government will reinforce the middle class, care about our citizens, encourage job creation and investment, protect our environment, and deliver an important infrastructure program. Most important, the Liberal government is dedicated to taking care of our vulnerable citizens.

I should point out that we did not forget our veterans or CBC/Radio-Canada.

In closing, on behalf of my constituents in Laval—Les Îles, I want to thank the Minister of Finance for this first budget, which was no easy task, in this challenging global context. Against difficult odds, the budget measures will help maintain or create 43,000 jobs.

This budget inspires hope for a fairer and more prosperous future. It puts Canada back on the path to growth, and I am very proud of it.

[Monique Pauzé, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Madam Speaker, we agree on a number of things raised by our colleague, in particular the new child benefit. This new benefit is much more generous and is not taxable. Furthermore, it is what the Bloc was calling for during the election campaign. This is a worthwhile measure that is more focused.

However, we do not agree on the tax cut he mentioned. Other measures would have been much more useful to the general public in terms of combatting poverty and helping the middle class. For example, in Quebec, 5.2% of taxpayers earn more than $100,000 and 74% earn less than $50,000. This tax cut will not affect them at all. I suggest that the government look at increasing the refundable GST tax credit. This way, 80% of the families earning between $36,000 and $62,000 a year would be better off.

[Fayçal El-Khoury, Liberal, Laval—Les Îles, QC]

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for her wonderful question. There is at least one member on the other side who supports a number of our measures. I am pleased to hear that.

On October 19, 2015, Canadians gave our government a clear mandate to make investments and lower taxes for the middle class. Nine million families will benefit from this measure. The Government of Canada is working to lift hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty. That is the mandate we were given, and that is exactly what our government will continue to do.

[Todd Doherty, Conservative, Cariboo—Prince George, BC]

Madam Speaker, over the course of the campaign, we heard the Liberal leader, and now our Prime Minister, talk about the Liberal plan. Would the member not agree with us that the Liberals campaigned on a string of broken promises? How hard is it for them to look Canadians in the eyes today and say that they made a mistake, that they really did not have a plan?

Did the Liberals mislead Canadians in their campaign plan?

[Fayçal El-Khoury, Liberal, Laval—Les Îles, QC]

Madam Speaker, we did not break our promise. If members look attentively at this budget, they would be happy, because more Canadians are happy. After consulting with our citizens from coast to coast to coast, business people, and chambers of commerce, our Minister of Finance came up with a budget that would meet the needs of most Canadians.

We are proud of our Minister of Finance. We are also proud of this government and the greatest budget in the history of Canada.

[Marco Mendicino, Liberal, Eglinton—Lawrence, ON]

Madam Speaker, I listened carefully to my colleague's speech, but I heard nothing about the unemployed.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

The hon. member for Laval—Les Îles, for a short answer, please.