Back to the previous Conservative opposition’s demand for objective analysis of the national finances. Here is the NDP’s second question today and the current Conservative government’s response.
Back to the previous Conservative opposition’s demand for objective analysis of the national finances. Here is the NDP’s second question today and the current Conservative government’s response.
Ms. Jean Crowder (Nanaimo—Cowichan, NDP): Mr. Speaker, in the election the Prime Minister said we would have no deficit. In November, that changed to a small surplus. In January, that changed again to a $34 billion deficit. Now the Conservatives are admitting to the largest shortfall in Canadian history. The finance minister has changed his numbers so often that no one is confident that he knows what he is doing. For the good of the country, will the Prime Minister agree to turn the books over to the Parliamentary Budget Officer for an honest appraisal?
Mr. Ted Menzies (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance, CPC): Mr. Speaker, the answer to that is no. We have a very competent finance minister who has done a great job of leading us through the outcome of a worldwide recession. In fact, we have put $29 billion, almost 2% of the GDP, into the economy as stimulus money this year. We care about Canadians. We are helping Canadians. We are there to help industries that are struggling. We are there to help those who are unemployed.