Mr. Chair, I'll start with the beginning of that very long set of comments.
I'll start by saying that I actually do think Canadians care about Canada's AAA rating. I think Canadians are smart, and I think Canadians understand that Canada's AAA credit rating represents a non-partisan verdict on the management of our government's finances. What it says is that a professional rating agency, whose job is to determine whether our government's approach is fiscally sustainable, has said, yes, it is. I think Canadians understand that, setting aside the sound and fury of partisan debate, it does really matter.
I will offer for the Canadians listening another objective, non-partisan verdict on our fall economic statement. I will quote from the Globe and Mail, which doesn't always agree with our government's policies: “It is, broadly speaking, the right approach. ...Canada [has] the slimmest government shortfall in the G7. In inflation-fighting terms, that has Liberal fiscal policy looking pretty good, especially graded on a curve.”
That's an objective, non-partisan judgment, Mr. Chair.