Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for her speech, although I basically disagree with her fundamental premise. I would like to make a comment and have her respond.
Having worked with her on the Standing Committee on Finance for a while, I know she is sincere in looking for solutions. As an individual who obviously by her considered remarks is very intelligent, I would like to offer a suggestion as to how to find that solution.
A lot of people know that if you define the right problem or if the problem is defined correctly, you now have at least 50 or 60 per cent of the solution because that is where you will focus your efforts.
I would present the case that this government has not identified the right problem. We have a problem in this country with the deficit, debt and the interest costs to service this debt. It is the debt that is causing the high interest costs and it is the high interest costs that is the number one problem in this country. Therefore the deficit is part of it because it contributes to the debt which increases the interest.
I will go very slowly. There are three parts to it: debt, interest and deficit. The government says it is the deficit that is the problem, that if we reduce the deficit, we will solve the problem. Wrong.
At the end of three or four years, this government's program will have added $90 to $100 billion to the debt which then would make the interest costs rise regardless of this 3 per cent of GDP. That is what everybody is saying in the world economy. That is why they are concerned about the toughness of the cuts necessary. It is adding to the problem.
What this government is doing is adding to the problem, thinking it is solving it by defining the wrong problem. That is why it is paramount that we get to a zero deficit so that we do not keep adding to the debt. It is the interest cost that is going to hurt those very people who the government is concerned about, the very people the government wants to help. The government will raise taxes to help and it will hurt the economy even more.
I am saying if we identify the interest costs to service the debt as the problem that then we will come up with different solutions and more of the solutions that the Reform Party is putting forth. I would like the member to make a comment on that, please.