Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Finance. For the past year, in his efforts to cut spending, the minister has targeted unemployment insurance benefits and transfer payments to the provinces for social assistance, post-secondary education and health. The federal share of these social programs amounts to $32.6 billion.
Why is the Minister of Finance making cuts in these social programs which represent $32.6 billion when it could instead reduce its operating expenditures, business subsidies and further reduce the defence budget which all together amount to $34.5 billion?