I would also like to then move to a compliment to Mr. Davies and Ms. Robinson for being here and for the good work that you and the polytechnics do. Seneca College is in my riding of Willowdale, and we're very proud of the work that Seneca does and of all that you do. I want to thank you for your presentation and detailed recommendations.
My questions are to the two representatives from the Chamber of Commerce. One earlier comment was that the government had “emptied the piggy bank through stimulus spending”. I will remind you that in fact, before we even knew a recession was about to hit, the piggy bank had been run dry with the two largest-spending budgets in Canadian history.
I would ask for your thoughts on three things. One is the reduction in the GST as it contributed to what we are now seeing in fact as a structural deficit. Second is on the challenge of the increase in employment insurance premiums, which is for all intents and purposes a tax increase and is being recommended now by the Conservative government, and what that will do to your members. Third, if you have time, if we as a government are to deal with the deficit and encourage a return to surplus, which I as a Liberal feel strongly about--and I am very proud of the record that we have from the 1990s and 2000s--without raising taxes and without cutting transfers to the provinces, do you have any recommendations on what specific programs to cut?