Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I'd also like to thank the panel.
To summarize in broad terms what I'm hearing, it's a softening from original projections, but certainly not below negative. Also, I'm hearing that we need to be very watchful. I've heard in general a suggestion that we need to be pragmatic and flexible. I think I also heard that debt in the long term is a big problem and that we do need to get back to balanced budgets. I think that was certainly an important piece.
If you look at where the government is going in terms of its reduction in government spending, I actually looked at the numbers, and I think we are looking at 0.02% of GDP, so really, we are looking at $4 billion and at government and how they are spending.
So I guess I would certainly say to Mr. Hodgson first, and maybe to Mr. Porter, that 5% of what might perhaps be inefficient spending in different areas of government expenditures seems quite feasible and doable to me, with a very modest impact. So government should be looking towards not spending money on programs that aren't efficient any more.
Comments?