The Budget  Mr. Speaker, the government is committed to working co-operatively with the Government of British Columbia on the Evergreen line. The one big hurdle in the Evergreen line getting funded is the NDP voting against our budget. The member opposite should support the government, support public transit and support British Columbia.

Infrastructure  Mr. Speaker, it is this Prime Minister and this Minister of Finance who have delivered record amounts to support infrastructure in this country. What did that member do? He refused to even read the budget and is saying he will vote against it. Let us look at the what the president of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities said: [T]he federal government took concrete action to create new jobs, fight the recession and invest in a safer, greener, more competitive Canada.

Infrastructure  Mr. Speaker, we are excited to be partners with the Province of Ontario for the Ottawa Congress Centre expansion. I was very pleased to join the Prime Minister and see the literally hundreds, if not thousands, of jobs that are being created by this $160 million project. I asked the man appointed by Dalton McGuinty to head up this project if he was he satisfied with all the support he was getting from the federal government, and he said yes.

Infrastructure  Mr. Speaker, this government was very pleased to support the Canada Line that goes through guess who's riding? The member for Vancouver Quadra. We are working tremendously well with the Government of British Columbia on the west coast. Together, we will create a lot of jobs, a lot of hope and a lot of opportunity.

Arctic Waters Pollution Prevention Act  moved for leave to introduce Bill C-3, An Act to amend the Arctic Waters Pollution Prevention Act. (Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

Northern Ontario Communities  Mr. Speaker, I can say very directly to the member opposite that on my desk I have literally thousands of requests for funding, where municipalities are stepping up to the plate and saying they have their third to join us in helping build Canada. We are committed to working constructively with municipal partners and with the provinces to ensure that we can provide a much needed shot in the arm to the Canadian economy.

Infrastructure  Mr. Speaker, yesterday's budget not only honoured the commitment that the Prime Minister made to double our infrastructure spending this year, the government has gone even further to help restore some hope and opportunity for Canadians. We will be investing more in our municipalities.

Infrastructure  In fact, Mr. Speaker, some provinces had not submitted lists with respect to the base funding under building Canada. I have good news for the member opposite: those funds do not lapse. We approved another round of projects just this morning. We are committed to working with municipalities, with provinces and with territories to get infrastructure projects on the ground.

The Economy  Mr. Speaker, now is the time for all members of Parliament to focus on the economy and on the budget that the Minister of Finance will present in a few hours. What we ask of the NDP is what we ask of every member of this House: we ask that they read the budget and that they look at the new measures we have put in place, the responsible measures to support employment growth, the responsible measures to encourage infrastructure spending, and the responsible measures to provide some hope that there are opportunities out there in the future.

The Economy  Mr. Speaker, this is the Prime Minister who promised to bring real accountability and who brought in the Federal Accountability Act. This is the Prime Minister who promised to cut the GST and delivered. This is the Prime Minister who promised choice in child care and delivered. This is the Prime Minister who promised to stand up and protect health care and promised to stand with ordinary Canadians.

Infrastructure  Mr. Speaker, the member for Newmarket—Aurora knows how loath I am to divulge any details that could be contained in the budget that will be presented in this place at four o'clock. We have lots of rules and laws in place to stop bad things from happening, but we do not have enough rules in place to facilitate good things to happen.

Economic and Fiscal Statement  Causing great stomach upset.

Arctic Waters Pollution Prevention Act  moved for leave to introduce Bill C-3, An Act to amend the Arctic Waters Pollution Prevention Act. (Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

The Economy  Mr. Speaker, it is this government that is building Canada, and it is that party opposite that wants to join in a coalition government with the separatists. That is simply unconscionable. I have to say this: does she realize what Jacques Parizeau has said? Former premier Jacques Parizeau applauded without reservation the Bloc Québécois' recent impressive victory in forming a coalition government in Ottawa.

The Economy  Mr. Speaker, there is one thing this Prime Minister, this team, and this government will never do, and that is accept a separatist government on this side of the House in this country. We are committed to providing sound, good government to ensure that we respond to the economic crisis.