We also recognized that while eliminating the deficit was crucial, it was also important to maintain the social infrastructure that continually regenerates opportunity. Universal health care is not just a social right, it is a huge economic asset. Head start programs for Aboriginal children are not only a matter of compassion, they are a matter of common sense. In other words, economic growth spawns social progress, and social progress bolsters economic growth. What we see here is a balanced approach.
Balance is a Canadian virtue.
Together, Canadians have achieved some things that just a few years ago many would not have thought possible. 1.6 million new, full-time jobs have been created since 1993. For the first time in a generation, taxes are being reduced without using borrowed money. And while no doubt many of you feel we must do more in this area, let me just repeat what we have already done in just the first two years since achieving a balanced budget. The 3 per cent deficit surtax has been repealed entirely.