Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Why are we here? We asked the Parliamentary Budget Officer whether he could explain the new unit of measure to us. He said that he hadn't received any such explanation but would have one soon. Now that the request has been put out there, we will get answers.
We're examining forecasted budget requirements. I realize it's general information, but people want to know more. I mentioned earlier that 16,000 jobs were being cut. Now we're being told to put our questions to other ministers.
I have very little time, so I really feel like submitting all of my questions in writing, letting a few days go by, perhaps the weekend, in order to get the answers I'm looking for. Taxpayers want answers.
I will ask a few questions. We've talked about the collective agreements three times. I'm concerned about what the Auditor General and the Parliamentary Budget Officer told us. According to the numbers, salaries are going up by 7.8%. Why are salaries going up?
On one hand, the collective agreements contain ranges for pay increments. On the other, the government says it wants to cut 16,000 jobs. I don't understand. Why are salaries going up?