Mr. Speaker, in the implementation bill there is a part implementing the balanced budget act. It states that if a country, or the world in our case, is facing a recession or a depression and the economics of the day require governments around the world, including Canada, to spend more than they are taking in, to have a deficit to stimulate the economy in order to create jobs and make sure that Canadians have the wealth they need to continue, the bill actually provides an exception for that to happen.
The finance minister of the day would come forward to the finance committee and discuss the issues of the day. That is included in the bill.
I stand behind it today. I stood behind it three years ago. Balanced books is the way governments, businesses and households should operate.