Budget Implementation Act, 2021, No. 1  Madam Speaker, I know the member did touch very briefly on the issue of fiscal responsibility, but it is that area I want to discuss with her. A couple weeks ago when the finance minister made her speech, she basically said, and I am paraphrasing, that it would be irresponsible not to incur more prospective debt because interest rates are so low.

Jewish Heritage Month  Mr. Speaker, this month of May marks Jewish Heritage Month. Jews throughout Canada's history have made extraordinary contributions to the fabric of our nation and have helped make it the greatest country in the world. Whether it be the Bronfman family and their contributions in business and philanthropy; in politics and government with former minister of finance Joe Oliver; in the entertainment world with the likes of none other than Captain James T.

The Economy  Mr. Speaker, Canadians are looking ahead to rounding the corner on COVID-19, and our country is at a crossroads. Our country’s future is at stake and Canadians must choose which path to recovery they can trust. Our Conservative recovery plan will secure our future to help those who have struggled the most through this pandemic get back to work with a stable, good-paying job.

Budget Implementation Act, 2021, No. 1  Madam Speaker, the member talked about how the budget protects workers and jobs. In my riding, I have, for example, the Winnipeg Richardson International Airport and aviation manufacturing firms, like Boeing, Magellan and StandardAero. I have talked to many of the workers from the airport and these companies.

Budget Implementation Act, 2021, No. 1  Mr. Speaker, I wonder what the hon. member's view is with respect to comments made by former deputy minister of finance David Dodge, of the Chrétien era, who is also the former governor of the Bank of Canada. He has been saying the budget does not focus on growth, is not a reasonably prudent fiscal plan and does not invest in growing Canada's economic policy.

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, the member's speech clearly recognizes there is a problem and proposes solutions, and I do not question her sincerity at all. I find myself again thinking that this is a speech the Minister of National Defence should be giving, but to the contrary, when he was interviewed by Mercedes Stephenson on the weekend, he was asked five times if he knew the allegations were around inappropriate sexual behaviour and he refused to respond.

Business of Supply  Madam Speaker, a few minutes ago the parliamentary secretary made a very nice speech taking responsibility and admitting that the Liberals did things wrong. I found myself thinking that this was really a speech that the Minister of National Defence needed to give. Contrary to that, on Sunday when being interviewed by Mercedes Stephenson, the minister was asked five times whether he was advised by the ombudsman that this was a matter of inappropriate sexual behaviour, and he refused to answer.

Human Rights  Mr. Speaker, B’nai Brith Canada reports that over seven anti-Semitic incidents occurred every single day in Canada last year. Jews were shot at with pellet guns, and a student in Winnipeg was attacked and told that Jews should “go back to the ovens”. The Prime Minister has said over and over again that he will stand up to anti-Semitism whenever and wherever it occurs, but this is the fifth consecutive year we have seen record numbers.

The Budget  Madam Speaker, I want to thank the member for asking about health transfers because it is a concern. One of the key aspects of this budget is the child care plan, if we can call it a plan. It is really a proposal, saying that we need to enter into agreements with 10 provinces and three territories and that the provinces will have to pay 50% of the cost.

The Budget  Madam Speaker, if I had been asked that question last fall, I might have been more in agreement. However, the reality is that we see the economy doing far better than it was doing at the time of the financial statement last fall by the finance minister. The economy is growing, and many economists are saying that this amount of stimulus is a solution looking for a problem and that if the government continues down this path, the economy could overheat, which will cause inflation and a rise in interest rates.

The Budget  Madam Speaker, as I said in my speech, the Conservatives did vote for emergency measures and we would have done it again; we just would have done it better. What I am referring to in my speech is the prospective spending, the massive amount of spending without any regard for fiscal anchors at all.

The Budget  Madam Speaker, in my short time as an MP, so much has changed in our country and in our world. I could not help but be reminded of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, when Brutus says, “There is a tide in the affairs of men, which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune.... On such a full sea are we now afloat, and we must take the current when it serves, or lose our ventures.”

The Budget  Mr. Speaker, yesterday in her speech, the Minister of Finance basically said it would be irresponsible not to borrow hundreds of millions of dollars because interest rates were so low, completely ignoring the fact that interest rates will inevitably rise. Does the member think the budget should have had a plan to account for future interest rate increases in its expenditures for it to be a responsible fiscal plan?

The Budget  Madam Speaker, the leader of the NDP really hit the nail on the head. We have a situation of a government that has a damning track record of making big promises and not keeping them, such as to balance the budget by 2019; electoral reform, which was a centrepiece of the 2015 campaign; boil water advisories; reduced cellular fees; and the other things he has mentioned.

The Budget  Madam Speaker, I want to talk about the child care promise in the context of the history of the government not being able to keep its promises. The Liberals promised to balance the budget by 2019. They promised electoral reform, elimination of boil water advisories, reduction of cellular fees by 25% and many, many other things.