Mr. Speaker, I find it curious that the member started off her statement with a reference to the Newfoundland and Labrador budget today, and that she expressed her extreme confidence in that government do the right thing.
In the statement today in the Newfound legislature, this is what the premier's finance minister said, “The previous government’s willingness to mortgage our future has left our province facing the biggest deficit and highest net debt ever recorded in our history.” I will remind the House and the hon. members on the opposite side that we in fact did leave a budget surplus, as evidenced by the “Fiscal Monitor”.
When the member speaks of confidence, these were the measures in today's budget: 16.5¢ a litre increase in the gas tax in Newfoundland as of June; $900 income-based levy on all taxpayers ; HST, up by 2%; average families paying $3,000 more in tax; income tax brackets going up in every income level; corporate tax rates increasing up to 15%; and class sizes also increasing in Newfoundland and Labrador in grades four to twelve.
Is that confidence in the government that the member spoke about an example of the foreshadowing that all Canadians will see with future budgets?