The C.D. Howe Institute and I myself were at the forefront, early on, of urging some of the relief measures that we have seen. I am not critical of the CERB in principle. I am not critical of the CEWS in principle. I am not critical of many of the credit supports the government put in place. I admire them. I think they were timely. I was impressed with the speed of execution.
The concerns I have are more forward-looking. As was alluded to earlier, we are in a situation where many of the challenges we face economically are not related to propping up demand. The demand is there and the savings are there. What they are related to is the reopening of the economy...both the safety from the coronavirus and many of the infrastructure challenges. I'll just elaborate by saying that much of the investment that we now need to undertake in airports and at the border, for example, is related to the need to make travel and the movement of goods and services safer and easier now that we are in this new situation.
The main point of my remark about the tax cost of program spending was about what comes next. There is a lot prefigured, in the fall economic statement, the Speech from the Throne and other promises that we have heard, about new ongoing programs. I would say that's out of place, at this point. We really ought to be thinking about things that will make the economy function better as we reopen and as we need continuing protection from the coronavirus. That's the main focus and the appropriate focus for future economic growth.