Mr. Edwards:

Madam Speaker, I think you might find a disposition to apply the results of that vote in reverse to the main motion.

Mr. Edwards:

Madam Speaker, I think you might find that there is a disposition to have the results of the vote just taken applied to the remainder of the amendments before us.

Mr. Edwards:

Madam Speaker, on the same point of order. I think we would have agreement with what my hon. friend has suggested with one qualification and that is that the vote on the concurrence motion be applied in reverse.

Mr. Edwards:

Mr. Speaker, ruination, tarnation. The reason this government has had to raise income taxes, and my hon. friend forgets the reduction in income taxes that took place in 1988, is the following.

This is from Hansard on July 2, 1975. The present Leader of the Opposition said: "We have decided that restraint is necessary. In order to exercise restraint we had to cut back on planned expenditures". What happened? A 28 per cent increase in program expenditures that year.

Another quotation: "I believe we must reduce our deficit and our borrowing requirement substantially". That person is now a senator but was the Minister of Finance in 1981. There was a 14.8 per cent increase in program spending, hard on the heels of a 16.5 per cent increase the previous year.

Here is another one: "I continue to state the government's intention to hold the growth of expenditures between 1975 and 1976 to 16 per cent or less". What was the record? There was a program increase of 20.1 per cent. There is more, there is more.

Here is one from the finance minister in 1982 who is now adorning the other place. Here is a quote: "Some say the government should print more money. Others say it should let the deficit rip but that would fail

miserably. Inflation and unemployment would get worse, interest rates would rise even more, Canada would price itself out of world markets and recovery would be postponed". He let her rip. There was a 19.8 per cent increase in government expenditures. That is what we are trying to cure. We have turned the country around from an overhang of expenditure over revenue of $16 billion in 1984-85 to a positive balance of over $6 billion in the current fiscal year.

Here is a last and final one: "There are programs that are duplications, there are programs that are wasteful, there is administration that is wasteful, there are programs that are no longer useful, there are programs that no longer serve a purpose and I am going to cut that down". That was the right hon. member for Vancouver Quadra on July 25, 1984. What was his increase of expenditure? It was 10.3 per cent. We are reaping the whirlwind of profligacy and we are trying to deal with it. Only this government has had the guts to deal with the irresponsible criminal activity of the Liberals. May the Canadian people never again reward them with office.

Mr. Edwards:

Don't take David's seat away from him, he will lose it soon enough.