Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his question. The question of maintaining social programs is very crucial and of much concern to the government. That is what the social program review initiated by the Minister of Human Resources Development was designed to address.
The deficit is being addressed by reducing it to 3 per cent of GDP. That is a minimum interim target. The finance minister stated many times in the House and outside the House that it is just that, a minimum interim target. The ultimate goal is to eliminate the deficit and repay the debt, leaving more money available to put into social programs.
Social programs are in need of review. They were designed several decades ago and have not been brought up to date. There is wide consensus among Canadians that they are in need of a review and an update and it is a question of which approach we will take.
Hon. members across have difficulty 20 months after the 1993 election still accepting that the Liberal platform clearly set out the deficit reduction goal was 3 per cent GDP in three years. That is one of the main reasons we were successful in the election. It is a concept they have difficulty accepting.