Taxation  Mr. Speaker, it took the Liberals only a month to squander the $7.5-billion surplus left by the Conservatives. Even worse, they have spent another $5 billion and are left with a $13-billion deficit. This behaviour shows a lack of respect for Canadian taxpayers. Can the Prime Minister tell us when he expects to return to a balanced budget?

Taxation  Mr. Speaker, the average family had an extra $7,000 in its pockets. The tax rate in Canada was the lowest it had been in 50 years. We will see what is coming, but it is worrisome. The government is borrowing money we do not have. It is investing in infrastructure, but running deficits to do so.

Finance  Mr. Speaker, in recent years, the former prime minister had to deal with the worst economic crisis since World War II. It is a good thing that the current Prime Minister did not have to deal with that crisis. We went through very difficult times and we left the house in order, with a surplus of $7.5 billion at the end of February.

Finance  Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's statements need to be corrected. We are the ones who did the work on the projects in Edmonton that he mentioned. In the Montreal region, we always worked while respecting provincial and municipal jurisdictions, including with regard to public transit.

Finance  Mr. Speaker, I rarely agree with the Minister of Finance, but this time, he is right. They will be in a deficit position. We had a surplus. I agree with him. The Department of Finance's “Fiscal Monitor” reported a surplus of $7.5 billion at the end of February, but the government is still announcing a huge deficit.

Forestry Industry  Mr. Speaker, I would like to raise another very important subject. Yesterday, I joined 4,000 people at a rally in Saint-Félicien in support of the forestry industry. The industry is active across Canada, but for years, it has been subjected to vicious attacks by a number of environmental groups that are spreading misinformation about forestry practices in Canada.

International Trade  Mr. Speaker, the problem is not overcapacity. The problem is being able to export our products to the United States. There is another unsustainable sector: dairy production. For a long time now, dairy producers have been calling on the Liberal government to solve the diafiltered milk problem.

International Trade  Mr. Speaker, the situation in the aluminium industry in Quebec is troubling. The Americans are imposing an emergency tariff of 50% on all aluminium imports. Quebec produces 66% of the aluminium imported into the United States. Meanwhile, instead of dealing with this problem, the Prime Minister prefers to work on his image, by sparring in a boxing ring in New York.

The Budget  Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the parliamentary budget officer confirmed that the former Conservative government left the current government a budget surplus. The Prime Minister and his Minister of Finance are now the only ones who can acknowledge that fact. Earlier, the government said it trusts the parliamentary budget officer.

The Budget  Mr. Speaker, the current and former parliamentary budget officers have spoken out about the government's lack of transparency in its budget. In 15 years, there has never been as little information as there is now. We hear rhetoric, but we are not getting facts. Canadians are realizing that they cannot trust this government.

The Budget  Mr. Speaker, Canadians still have 40 million good reasons. The Liberal government has completely broken its promises on transparency. Just last week, the parliamentary budget officer said that he did not have everything he needed to do his job properly and evaluate such things as job creation.

Taxation  Mr. Speaker, that is not what the parliamentary budget officer is saying . At the time, we introduced Bill C-377 on union transparency. We believe that Canadians who pay union dues have the right to know how their mandatory dues are spent by union bosses. For us, it is about transparency and accountability.

Finance  Mr. Speaker, a former budget watchdog said Saturday what our official opposition has been saying for the past few weeks, that the government lacks transparency. He said, “When you don't see the details, usually somebody is trying to hide something. There is a reason for the lack of transparency”.

Ecuador  Mr. Speaker, on the same topic, it is important to remember that Saturday marked an historic event in the province of Manabi, Ecuador. A Quebec family who had been living there for a short time tragically lost two of its members. On behalf of the official opposition, we wish to offer our deepest condolences to the friends and loved ones of this bereaved family.

Finance  Mr. Speaker, we recently warned Canadians that the Liberal government's excessive spending would be tough to pay for without raising taxes. Canadians will end up paying those taxes in the future. On Saturday, the former parliamentary budget officer sounded the alarm and confirmed what we have been saying for some time.