No, no, I appreciate it.
In terms of government spending, I'm very concerned about the size of government debt in Canada. We often compare federal government debt to government debt in other countries, and we often compare it to unitary states. But if we add provincial and federal together, in Canada the gross government debt as a percentage of GDP comes up to around 81.3%. To put it in perspective, the U.S. gross government debt as a percentage of GDP is around 82%. So it's around a point difference.
Our gross government debt, and I'm talking about federal and provincial and municipal combined, as a percent of GDP is worse than the U.K. We're all reading about the U.K. today and about France and Germany. I think sometimes we've got to give ourselves a reality check. I don't want to see us having to do what they're doing in the U.K. today, but part of me thinks that we have to start having an adult discussion with Canadians and stakeholders like the public service today to prevent that from happening in a few years.
Would you have some suggestions as to ways that we could cut the cost of government? Any of you? I know that doesn't sound popular, but I don't want to be in the mess that the U.K. is in and have to make those kinds of draconian decisions in a few years.
I'm in the province of Nova Scotia, which has a tremendously high debt. You're in the province of Quebec, which has a tremendously high debt. It's particularly acute in our provinces, but this is something we have to tackle. We have small business and the public service, and I think we're all united as citizens in this. So how are we going to do this?