Mr. Chair, first, I must say I am a bit amused. I think the member opposite was actually implying that I agreed with the proposition of his leader, that budgets balance themselves. This, of course, is not reality. When the economy grows, it does reduce the debt burden, provided there is no deficit. That is precisely the point. A balanced budget requires a plan and it requires discipline. Budgets do not balance themselves.
In respect to CPP, Canadians do not want to pay a higher payroll tax, and that is why we lowered taxes and brought forward new incentives for Canadians to save for retirement. We introduced pension income splitting, pooled registered pension plans, and tax-free savings accounts, and launched consultations on a new target benefit pension plan. Despite the opposition's reckless high tax plans, we continue to take action to put more money back into the pockets of retirees.