Mr. Speaker, that is a very tough and direct question. Of course I have concerns about the fancy bookkeeping of the federal government. It happens time and time again. I share some of the concerns that the member has mentioned.
I want to mention another one that makes me very angry. It is the use of the EI fund. Workers pay into the EI fund as do employers pay into the EI fund. The accumulated surplus in the EI fund is some $42 billion. The federal government sees that going into the consolidated revenue fund, which is the general fund of the government.
The previous minister of finance viewed using the funds of the workers and employers to eliminate the deficit and pay down the debt. That is a very fancy way of making sure there is a balanced budget. It is not fair because the ordinary working people are paying that money. It is a theft of the money of the working people. It is just not the way to view public finances.
The EI fund should be separate. It is an insurance fund. It provides insurance and benefits for people who lose their jobs.
Time and time again there is creative bookkeeping used in terms of the EI fund and in terms of pension funds. Funds move back and forth between the consolidated revenue fund and crown corporations. More transparency and more accountability is needed. That is why a fixed budget date is needed, so that we have a more democratic parliamentary system.
I could go on at length about this issue but I see that I have run out of time.