I started working here 17 years ago. In all honesty, I share those concerns.
We are indeed living in an era of incredible transformation. It is therefore important to act transparently on Parliament Hill. Having debates among MPs who come from all over the world and who have a great deal of experience is a way to ensure that the government is given the mandate to implement the change. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the OECD, has published a few studies on the government's ability to implement changes, such as budget cuts, economic restructuring measures or cuts to transfers to certain organizations to redirect funds to other organizations. What matters most is the public's confidence in the transparency of the process.
That, I think, reflects the importance of the work done by the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance. I saw that there were over 1,000 recommendations for changes that people want to see in the budget. That's why you're here, for democracy.