Mr. Speaker, we have asked and asked the Minister of Finance how long it will take to eliminate the deficit. He has been completely unable to give us an answer.
Now we discover that the President of the Treasury Board has it all under control. The year 2000 will be the year that Canadians will start to move out from under the deficit cloud, that is, if the cloud has not descended upon us by then.
The minister and his colleagues said they will "hum the same balanced budget tune". This is no time for a cowardly rendition of the "lower the deficit only if you can" song. It is time for the minister to produce the deficit requiem mass. By the way, would he please be sure to send a copy to the Minister of Finance as he seems to have been left out of the choir.