Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Social assistance was also lowered or income support as it is now called. We also decreased grants to organizations such as the Mental Health Association. We lowered the funds to the health boards, education boards and alcohol and drug rehabilitation centres. These are just examples.

The Minister of Education now indicates that our student/teacher ratio is now the highest in Canada. If cuts continue, we surely will be the highest in Canada. We also have the worst high school graduation rate in Canada. Now we are told that we have to close rehabilitation centres and hospitals while we have the worst rate of alcoholism and suicide.

Mr. Speaker, this government has a responsibility for the education and safety of our citizens. We cannot afford more cuts in these areas. This government must allow the budgets of the departments in the social envelope to increase in relation to other departments. I am not talking about keeping people on social assistance. I am talking about increasing the budget in the area of education and training so we can get people off of income support or social assistance. I am talking about helping our elders so that they can live independently, in dignity. I am talking about things like making sure the health of our citizens is a priority, not an afterthought to balancing the budget.

---Applause