Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Finance who I am sure is as concerned as anyone about inefficient and ineffective tax expenditures. We note that the auditor general has pointed out that for $2 billion in R and D tax credit expenditures or losses in revenue, only between $20 million and $50 million of new additional R and D has actually occurred.
Does the Minister of Finance not agree that it is time to assess the R and D tax credit program on a cost benefit basis to ensure that the taxpayers of Canada are getting the appropriate bang for their buck?