Mr. Speaker, innumerable ordinary Canadians, business leaders, think tanks, economists and the IMF insist that setting interim targets for the deficit is not enough. They have urged the Minister of Finance to set targets for the complete elimination of the deficit within this government's mandate. I am baffled that the finance minister blinked and missed the easy opportunity to do so.
Only relatively small additional cuts are needed to satisfy these Canadians. The interim targets he chose increase the uncertainty about the government's resolve and prevent getting into the virtual cycle of more growth, even faster deficit elimination and lower interest rates.
Why has the minister chosen to subject Canadians to essential surgery but not enough to get rid of the malignant tumour?