Madam Speaker, I appreciate the remarks of my hon. friend from Yukon for whom I have considerable regard.
Does he believe his constituents in Yukon are at all concerned about the size and level of Canada's $547 billion national debt? Does he think they are satisfied with the budget's commitment to pay zero dollars down on the debt in the next four fiscal years?
Is he not also concerned with reports from organizations, such as the Toronto-Dominion Bank, J.P. Morgan Securities, Nesbitt Burns, the C.D. Howe Institute and others, saying that this budget was likely to move us into a deficit, and that indeed it would have had the finance minister not moved $2 billion of current year revenues from small business tax sources into the next fiscal year?
Is he not at all concerned that some of the leading private sector economists are calling this a deficit budget and that there is no debt reduction here?