I think what Ms. Mathyssen was starting to say was, has the budget consultation process begun? And we have no idea, because that would be a primer for us to figure this out. If the government is interested in consulting, then who is it consulting? And what is its trend going to be? Is it going to give a tax credit? Is it going to give a tax deduction? Perhaps we don't know. Everything is up in the air. Perhaps a consultant could say, a reduction in tax--for example, a 1% reduction in revenue from an income tax perspective--would benefit women in this group or that group.
In my mind, I think that's something we should be able to give the consultant. What happens if? It's a “what if” scenario. There are tax cuts, tax credits, and impacts on social programs. But we can ask the analysts to help us devise a mandate for consultants.
Here is what the analysts are telling me. We have had a lot of evidence given. We don't have a summary in front of us, so our memories might be relapsing into what it was that was said. In January, if we have the evidence before us, then we say, here is an area in which we would like a consultant to guide us. And perhaps then we won't be putting the cart before the horse, and perhaps we can logically say what it is we will move forward on with the consultant, and then how the consultant will help us ask the Department of Finance. How can we determine that a pension credit is beneficial, that they have done a gender lens? We don't even know how to ask the question. We have no idea. We're not experts on pensions. We're not experts on anything.
So we are here to help understand, and that person, hopefully the economist, will help us say, here are the types of questions you will ask the Department of Finance; here are the types of questions on which you will know that you are not being told the truth, or yes; here are the performance indicators you need to look at; and here are the performance measurements you must have. And perhaps that will help us achieve what we are trying to achieve.
Yes, Ms. Minna.