Finance committee  —and the answer is yes, I am.

Finance committee  Twenty seconds.

Finance committee  Mr. Chairman, what's abundantly clear is we would look at any area that was not economically productive as a primary candidate.

Finance committee  There are areas where we can make investments that are economic generators. There are other areas where clearly we are not receiving that return for the investment. When we talk about the issue of the deficit, though—

Finance committee  —and economic growth, the single best way to promote economic growth is to seek private sector growth. The single worst way to deal with the deficit is to push us back into recession, to have business pulling back from its investment plans, pulling back from hiring commitments th

Finance committee  Yes, certainly, Mr. Brison. There has been a significant slowdown in the global economy, which is why it's essential for us to ensure that the private sector can compete in Canada and can grow.

Finance committee  That's why it's vital that Parliament keep its word.

Finance committee  Absolutely not. What I'm saying is just the opposite. Far from ignoring the global economic crisis, what's vital is that as we are starting to see a private-sector-led recovery, we have to make sure we don't pull the rug out from underneath that by reversing the commitment that w

Finance committee  As you pointed out, there has been a change in the global economic circumstance in the course of the past few years. It's not surprising. I think every single member of Parliament took the position, correctly, supported by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, that indeed there shoul

Finance committee  I'm sorry, Mr. Brison, I want to be very clear on this. You have put out an open letter to me—you haven't delivered it to me, to the best of my knowledge, as yet, but I have seen it—

Finance committee  —because you believe that our ad that was run yesterday was aimed at the Liberal Party of Canada.

Finance committee  It was addressed to all parliamentarians. The Liberal Party was not mentioned. Our primary target is sitting across from you, and we are saying, particularly to the government, when the government is—and that's why I'm here today—preparing its budget, I'm saying to the Minister

Finance committee  You're asking me whether or not—

Finance committee  —I'm prepared to hold the government to account if it breaks its word—

Finance committee  Thanks very much, Mr. Szabo. It's a very important question. What the government did was to put in place a mechanism where they would receive a recommendation to bring the EI account back into balance. The recommendation they received was for an increase three times the size.