Mr. Speaker, the budget figures show that the government had enough revenue in 1997-98 to eliminate the deficit, to meet its program spending target of $103 billion, and to put $3 billion into its contingency reserve, but the government in fact spent $106 billion and the contingency reserve went to zero with no payment on the debt.
My question is for the finance minister. Why did the minister spend the contingency reserve devoted to new spending after promising in three previous budgets that this would not occur?