Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
I would like to welcome everyone.
My first question is for Mr. Godbout.
Mr. Godbout, you spoke about balanced budgets and having balanced budget legislation. The NDP has said many times that it is in favour of balanced budgets, but over a business cycle. We heard in the throne speech and in conversations with Minister Flaherty that he provided balanced budgets for each so-called "normal" year. Normal remains to be defined.
First, do you think the approach of the annual balanced budgets—depending on how you define the word "normal"—is too restrictive compared to the approach of balanced budgets over the entire business cycle?
Second, what would be the consequences of not attaining this balanced budget if a specific situation means that we cannot balance it? Would the Minister of Finance go to jail? How would that work?