As I was saying in my previous questioning, the economic factors the government cites for the strong global economy have nothing to do with government policy. The oil price is global. The interest rates are semi-global, at least continental. The growth in the U.S. and world economies are obviously out of the control of this government and housing bubbles in given jurisdictions are things that governments cannot control. In fact, they could very easily—all of those factors—disappear at any time.
Government members trying to take credit for those factors are like the rooster who takes credit for the sun going up just because he crowed when the sun came up. All of these factors could be gone at any time. If they are and if a recession arrives, as it did suddenly and unexpectedly out of the United States in 2008, what would Canada's fiscal position look like, Mr. Cross, entering that recession, given that we start out under the best circumstances with a $20-billion deficit?