When we're talking about global economic policies in this context, in terms of trade and this new aspect of the international agreement that is compelling provinces and some federal governments to be disciplined by the requirements of the World Trade Organization, then we are talking about an impact in terms of social relations.
We know that in Canada the government has said there is a very high cost to increased stimulus spending and has put a limit on it, certainly much lower than other OECD countries. Part of the argument is that there's a very high long-term cost that has to be paid, that we have to think very carefully about how much stimulus money should be extended, how much public money should be extended. So I look at this agreement and say, well, why then would we tolerate leakage? Why would we not encourage that money to be spent within the Canadian economy?
The United States, if I'm not mistaken, has given, per capita, seven times more stimulus money to the economic recovery than Canada, and they have plans about how they want to see that money spent. I'd like to shift this discussion relative to your question to look at the implications for the Canadian economy in terms of our public services, in terms of responsibilities of government at a number of different levels to deal with our economic recovery and the kinds of policy options and space that we have for bringing our economy back from crisis.