Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
I had a lot of questions for Mr. Leblanc as well. I'm a little disappointed that he wasn't able to stay. Since we haven't really had a chance to talk to him, I'd like the committee to invite him back, if possible.
Mr. Cross, thank you for citing the data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. I don't know if it comes from the report I have here, the 2023 Economic Survey of Canada. The survey recognizes that Canada has the lowest net debt-to-GDP ratio of all the G7 countries. It's one of the factors economists use to determine the financial health of a country. In that respect, we have a good rating.
As for the budget deficit, the survey recognizes that it is shrinking. Among other things, it says the following:
A general government deficit of 1.7% of GDP is expected for 2022, after 11.4% in 2020. Public debt still stands above the pre-pandemic level... but is expected to decline rapidly. Canada fares better than most countries in this regard.
Do you agree with the OECD on that, or do you have more of a selective approach?