Finance Committee on May 17th, 2012

[The Vice-Chair, NDP, Peggy Nash]

Thank you, Mr. Caron.

[Guy Caron, NDP, Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC]

I would like to know how we arrived at these two figures, which are different. One of them indicates that the number of workers will not change.

[The Vice-Chair, NDP, Peggy Nash]

You have only 15 seconds left.

[Dominique La Salle]

Pardon me, but I don't understand the gist of the question.

[Annette Vermaeten]

The percentage spent on GDP changes very slowly up until 2060. It's still around 3.14% until we reach basically around 2045. Then it starts to.... There are going to be differences. You're using different kinds of statistics but they both show the same pattern. It does decrease, but at a very slow rate, just like the number of seniors continues to increase over that time period.

[The Vice-Chair, NDP, Peggy Nash]

Thank you.

Mr. Jean.

[Brian Jean, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB]

So if I understand it correctly—and I appreciate Mr. Caron's intervention in relation to this and his line of questioning—the cost in real dollar terms goes up. In fact I think it goes up three times, if I'm not wrong. It's very expensive.

[Dominique La Salle]

In nominal terms.

[Brian Jean, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB]

In nominal terms it goes up. So it goes up three times what it is today, which is to what?

[Dominique La Salle]

It would be $108 billion in 2030.

[Brian Jean, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB]

Even the mike didn't like that. It squealed.

So that goes up almost three times. The percentage cost based on GDP goes up significantly, to....

[Annette Vermaeten]

It's 3.14.

[Brian Jean, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB]

From....

[Annette Vermaeten]

From about 2.2 today.

[Brian Jean, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB]

That's significant as well.

And the number of workers required to support people doubles as well. The amount needed doubles. So it goes from 4.1 to 2.1, or in essence it goes way down as far as supply goes.

It is a very significant thing indeed, and I appreciate your testimony here today.

Thank you very much.

[The Vice-Chair, NDP, Peggy Nash]

Thank you.

Monsieur Mai.

[Hoang Mai, NDP, Brossard—La Prairie, QC]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Mr. Rodrigue, we understand your situation and we sympathize with you. On the other hand, when it comes to measures that make it possible to make a decision, everyone we have met to date has submitted figures to us. So, if I understand correctly, you have been instructed—and I am not asking you to tell me whether you know those figures—not to pass them on to us here today.

[Bruno Rodrigue]

What I can do today is answer your questions on the legislative amendments and the figures included in the budget.

[Hoang Mai, NDP, Brossard—La Prairie, QC]

As I explained, when we requested the costs of the measures that would make it possible to make a decision, all the officials we have met—

[Bruno Rodrigue]

Provided the figures are available.

[Hoang Mai, NDP, Brossard—La Prairie, QC]

Yes. So that means that these figures are not available.

Have you heard about the figure of $10 billion to $12 billion that the Hon. Jim Flaherty grudgingly confirmed?

[Bruno Rodrigue]

I saw the clips in which he said that on television.

[Hoang Mai, NDP, Brossard—La Prairie, QC]

Do you confirm that those figures are valid?

[Bruno Rodrigue]

I didn't come to testify today to talk about that question.

[Hoang Mai, NDP, Brossard—La Prairie, QC]

Once again, I'm sorry, but we want to get as much information as possible so that we can be in a position to make a decision.