Excise Act  This is directly attributed to tax policy. I can give the House an example. In Manitoba the taxes on clear gasoline that is not used in the agriculture industry are 11.5 cents provincially and 8.5 cents federally. For diesel it is 9.9 cents provincially and 4 cents federally. Fuel for farming use however has no provincial tax but still has the same federal taxes of 8.5 cents and 4 cents.

The Budget  There is also a tremendous amount of ways in which we spend money that clearly could be described as wants. If we are ever going to get our financial house in order we have to make a clear distinction between our needs and our wants.

The Budget  Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his questions. As a father of two daughters, his interest is clear to me. We are certainly on the same wave length in that both our sons and daughters should enjoy equal opportunities and wage parity. I certainly agree, and I commend him on his position.

The Budget  Today I want to talk about the implications of the budget for Canadian women. However let us be very clear. I am not only speaking to women; I am also speaking to men. Women's issues are everyone's issues. They are societal issues. They touch every citizen in the country. Women are our mothers, our spouses and care givers.

The Budget  In this budget like in his last budget, the Minister of Finance is announcing further cuts in unemployment insurance. Quebec however will get back less than it will contribute in 1995. It is clear that federalism does not profit Quebec. This year, Quebec workers and employers will contribute $4.8 billion to the UI fund, but Quebec claimants will receive about $4.7 billion in benefits and various employment-related services.

Foreign Affairs  The answer, Mr. Speaker, is that we do exactly that. It is quite clear that the children of those serving abroad have to attend schools that follow a curriculum which will allow them to continue their classes when they come back to Canada. Canadian diplomats are receiving nothing more than diplomats of other countries.

Artists For Sovereignty  These artists wanted to express publicly their determination to see Quebec become a country. Singer Paul Piché delivered a clear message to Quebecers: "We know you. We imitate you. We heal your pain in love. We give words to your fears, your desires and your hopes. We have faith in you. You can have faith in us; you are entitled".

Internet  I urge the House to condemn Ernst Zundel and Zundels afterward for racist and hate mongering activities. All members of the House must stand together and send a loud and clear message that promotion of hatred against any identifiable group is unacceptable and will not be tolerated by Canadians.

The Budget  They indicated, and I certainly support them, constituents give us their precious tax dollars and it is our job to make it work. We must bring some accountability to the process. There was clear support among participants that spending cuts were inevitable. They asked us to take a good look at our existing programs and the funding mechanisms for them. In other areas there was no consensus reached.

The Budget  The budget also looks beyond the two-year target because our fiscal reforms will continue to pay off in the years after sustaining our progress toward the government's ultimate goal, a balanced budget. Our cautious fiscal and economic assumptions make clear the need for tough measures. To hit our targets we are implementing cumulative savings over the next three years of $29 billion. These actions mean changing the size and shape of government.

The Budget  The minister has finally learned to talk the talk, but he made only a feeble attempt to walk the walk. He said that Canadians want clear action and then he proceeded to deliver mush. Previous finance ministers were able to play budgetary games, sleights of hand for 20 years without making any real spending cuts. I acknowledge that the incumbent did make some real cuts.

The Budget  In an increasingly multi-channeled environment the current mandate to provide a wide range of programming that informs, enlightens and entertains is too broad. It is also clear that the mandate of the CBC is to provide Canadians with predominantly Canadian programming. However, what Canadians are being subjected to is extremely questionable in terms of meeting the prescribed mandate.

The Budget  They want to achieve this through cuts in government spending. The government has heard this message loud and clear. For that reason we have committed to cutting $7 in expenditures for every $1 in increased revenues. To ensure fairness in the tax system, the government has closed a number of loopholes that benefit large corporations and banks and has avoided increasing the burden on individual and middle class Canadians and their families by refusing to increase personal income tax.

The Budget  The parliamentary secretary this morning even had the temerity to raise day care when if one reads page 40 of the red book as Canadians have, one will find there is a clear commitment to increase day care spaces by 50,000 a year the moment the economy goes beyond 3 per cent. Is there anything about that in the budget now? That was the Liberal position. They vowed to stand shoulder to shoulder with single mothers, with poor families, with refugees and immigrants, with the regionally disadvantaged, with the sick, with needy children here at home or abroad, all of whom were to be given more, not less, financial support by a Liberal government.

The Budget  I think the question is clear.