Mr. Speaker, my Liberal colleague is talking about what he sees in the budget, but as we have said repeatedly, let us talk about what is missing from the budget.
Personally, I would like to talk about public servants. The northern bonuses are being eliminated. In some regions like mine, there is no succession in the public service, which means that some positions are not being filled. This prevents public servants from advancing their career and it leads to excessive workloads. What is more, a new pay system is on the way.
The government is also reducing public service pension plans, when in fact this is money that has been deferred. It is a salary that has been negotiated, so they are playing with collective agreements. We are talking about 40,000 jobs lost, and 15% in operating costs where cuts are being made.
How is that good news for regions like mine? I would like my colleague to respond directly to the people of my riding and tell them how any of this is good for the people back home.