Oh!

Mr. Deputy Speaker:

I assume the hon. member for St. John's West (Mr. Crosbie) was rising to the same point as the hon. member for Nepean-Carleton (Mr. Baker). Otherwise the Chair will recognize the hon. member for Winnipeg-St. James.

Mr. Crosbie:

I am rising on a point of order, Mr. Speaker. The point of order is this: It was agreed among the whips that I would follow the Minister of Finance. That is my point of order, and I should like the Chair to explain why a member on this side has not been called to follow the Minister of Finance.

Mr. Deputy Speaker:

With due respect, the Chair has been following the procedure which has been general throughout this debate, that of recognizing members on one side and on the other side in a manner which reflects the numerical proportions of the House, and having heard three speakers from the official opposition the Chair recognizes the hon. member for Winnipeg-St. James.

Mr. Keeper:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker-

Mr. Nielsen:

On a point of order, I am sure that in a sense of fairness and in accordance with the time honoured practices and traditions of this House hon. members would wish to hear the spokesman for the opposition in response to this minibudget which has been smuggled in. But if there is a desire to

test that matter, I should like to move, seconded by the hon. member for Nepean-Carleton (Mr. Baker):

That the hon. member for St. John's West (Mr. Crosbie) be now heard.

Mr. Deputy Speaker:

The House heard the motion. Those in favour of the motion please say yea.

Yea.

Mr. Deputy Speaker:

Those against will please say nay.

Nay.

Mr. Deputy Speaker:

In my opinion the nays have it.

And more than five members having risen:

Mr. Deputy Speaker:

Call in the members.

Madam Speaker:

I declare the motion carried.

The hon. member for St. John's West (Mr. Crosbie).

Hon. John C. Crosbie (St. John's West):

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I should like to congratulate you upon your elevation. Any movement from the Trudeau cabinet is an elevation!

Hear, hear!

Mr. Crosbie:

Apart from that, and quite seriously. Madam Speaker, we know you are going to distinguish yourself in the Chair as the first member of your sex to occupy that position.

Mr. Trudeau:

Quit talking about sex.

Mr. Crosbie:

Madam Speaker, I wish you well. I should also like to congratulate the mover and seconder of the Address in Reply to the Speech from the Throne, and I should like to thank the 148 members who voted for me here tonight, also the one who voted against me. I hope that proportion maintains itself in the coming general election.

The only thing I cannot do. Madam Speaker, is congratulate the Minister of Finance (Mr. MacEachen) on his statement here tonight. I think it was Walpole who said something like this about the world-the world is a comedy to those that think, and a tragedy to those who feel.

Any of us here tonight who both think and feel are in a dilemma as to whether we should cry or laugh at this spavin statement that has been presented to this House tonight, a complete abdication, a complete abnegation of the responsibility of a minister of finance, to bring before this House of Commons in this chamber a half-statement like this. It is a statement that brings in some points and reaffirms some points that were in the budget of December 11 that were right and proper and popular, but ignores his responsibility to this country, to our economic system and our economic structure, to our financial institutions, to deal with the real economic and financial problems that are facing Canada today. Therefore it does not face up to the needs of this country and the needs of this government for more revenue, to the need for economic and financial systems to be given a sign as to what direction this government is going. What is the sign that is presented in this statement tonight to the economic structure of this country? A sign of complete irresponsibility.

Hear, hear!

The Address-Mr. Crosbie

Mr. Crosbie:

Mr. Speaker, this is not a mini-budget-it is a Minnie Mouse budget.

There is no relief here for home owners. There is no relief for anyone.

The Minister of Finance is leaving tomorrow-leaving this country tomorrow-fleeing to Germany. Well might he flee to West Germany to his IMF meeting. I hope to God while he is there he learns something from the other finance ministers of the world who are going to be there. Perhaps he will learn from the IMF to cut oil use with a tax. That is what they advised all the countries who belong, on February 24, 1980.

A new study by the IMF states:

Canada, the United States and other industrial countries should try to reduce consumption of imported oil by imposing sharply higher taxes on gasoline-

Perhaps he will listen to what they advise over there in the IMF as to what should be done in this day and age of vanishing oil supplies and increasing risks for every country that wants some security for its oil supplies. Perhaps he will learn some responsibility from them.

What has he done? He has violated the promise and the commitment he made in February or January in Toronto, the financial capital of Canada still. The Prime Minister (Mr. Trudeau) spoke there and gave his five solemn economic and financial pledges, one of which was that on no account would he increase government spending beyond the real increase in the gross national product each year. Now the Minister of Finance comes in and says in his statement tonight that there is going to be a .5 per cent real growth in the gross national product in Canada this year, or no growth. That indicates that there should be no increase in government spending this year. But what is the increase? Not the 10 per cent limit that we had imposed-the $58.4 billion the total outlays would have been had we been kept in office-but the spending is going to go so far up by another $2 billion to $60.4 billion. This is a 13.7 per cent increase.