Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for this excellent question.
It is not just about numbers. We could discuss and debate numbers all week, if we wanted to.
It is principally a question of looking forward and growing our economy.
One cannot take a snapshot and say that there is a surplus. No one in business does that. They look at long-term projections. Over the period that the previous government was in power, we clearly saw not only a deficit but also the worst economic record since the Great Depression.
Once again, in October Canadians resoundingly told us that the globally integrated Canadian economy needs investment, needs nurturing, and needs active attention on the part of its government.