Mr. Speaker, the member's question is quite obviously very much in the line that this government wants to take and we certainly do support the recommendations of the Auditor General.
We are committed to the elimination of budget secrecy, to open budgeting. As the House was not meeting, the announcement of the deficit was made not by a press release but at a meeting at the University of Montreal involving students from that university and McGill.
We had a public meeting of 40 economists from across the country who dealt with the economic projections and where the country was going. We had a very successful pre-budget consultation meeting in Halifax last week. We expect to have an
equally successful one in Montreal this week followed by one in Toronto and one in Calgary.
When there is more time leading to the following budget for 1995 we expect to be able to do even more public consultation.
In terms of this House, we are going to remain faithful, as we are in other things, to the concepts and principles set out in the red book.
As the Prime Minister and the House leader have said, it will be a substantially enhanced role for the finance committee.