Mr. Speaker, the minister beats around the bush. Is not the real reason that the finance minister will not commit to firmer deficit reduction targets that he cannot convince enough of his ministerial colleagues to take the necessary measures to reduce government spending?
Over the last month we have seen minister after minister and heads of agencies show up at committees pleading for increasing or maintaining high levels of spending, not putting forward major reductions. For example, the minister of heritage last week is said to have promised his resignation if the CBC were to be partially privatized.
Is the Minister of Finance prepared to make the spending cuts, the level of cuts advocated by the IMF and others, even at the expense of the resignation of some of his ministerial colleagues?