Mr. Speaker, I have not said, nor has the government said, that it is going to reduce the deficit to zero. What it did say is in the red book, and the hon. member says he did not see it. Of course I am sure he did not read the red book during the election campaign. He should have. He might have joined the Liberal Party instead and he would be much happier than he is today.
The red book made it very clear that the government was committed to reducing the deficit to 3 per cent of gross national product by year three of its mandate. That is the promise the government is going to keep. That is the promise I was discussing earlier in my speech. I believe it is a reasonable promise. We have two more years to do that. By the end of the two years the government will have plans for reducing the deficit further I have no doubt. I am optimistic that with the great policies the government is pursuing we will have phenomenal growth in this country throughout the period that will reduce it further.
I invite the hon. member to wait for the budget. See what is in it and rejoice when it comes out.