Mr. Chair, I am absolutely serious about fiscal responsibility, and I would urge Canadians and members of this committee not to be misled by overheated partisan rhetoric, and to listen to objective people we should trust.
Let me quote the Parliamentary Budget Officer, who explained to this committee, “When looking at G7 countries, Canada compares very favourably on net debt-to-GDP.” The Parliamentary Budget Officer also described, for members of this committee, a conversation he had with Moody's, which told him that Canada's deficit should, according to the PBO, make us “quite happy because by European standards that's very low.” That's an objective judgment.