Finance committee  Volatility has increased, and there's been a generalized retrenchment from risk taking across financial markets. The combination of ongoing deleveraging by banks and households, increased fiscal austerity, and declining confidence is expected to restrain growth across the advanced economies. The bank now expects that the euro area, where these dynamics are most acute, will experience a brief recession.

Government Operations committee  It talks about a phantom public service. I'd like to point out to what extent, despite the government's austerity measures or maybe even because of them, instances of contracting work out have not only increased in the past few years, but they have really exploded. Between 2005-2006 and today, the use of various consultants, temp services and management consultants has increased by 80%.

House debate  That is absolutely not true. We know the government is cutting the Windsor service because of austerity measures. It has publicly admitted that. It has said that the reduction is taking place because it needs to reduce the CBSA file and the money in it to make way for changes with regard to the budgetary process.

International Trade committee  In addition to slower growth in the U.S., in several EU member states, and even in China, we have faced and will continue to face the protectionist impulse in all of its various forms as public sector austerity measures are put into effect. At a time of tremendous global economic uncertainty, successful conclusion of these negotiations toward a comprehensive economic trade agreement will send a powerful pro-growth signal to investors and businesses, both within our borders and beyond.

Finance committee  I'd like to ask you about housing, but I'll maybe try to come back to that. Both Mr. Gordon and Mr. Jackson talked about the difference between austerity measures and job creation right now. I know that Mr. Campbell referred to further corporate tax cuts as creating jobs. I don't have time to ask him a question. If he has any empirical evidence on that, I'd like to see it because I've not seen any.

Affordable Social Housing  The various affordable social housing programs administered by the federal government provide residents with inadequate basic living conditions and ignore those who need specialized services or who have physical limitations. This government should do more to support affordable social housing. In this time of austerity we must never forget that social housing is not wasted money. It is a sound economic investment. The more we do to help those who are most in need, the faster they will be able to find their own footing and participate in and contribute to Canada's economy.

Finance committee  On our very first panel we had a kind of consensus that now wasn't the time for the government to be particularly austere, but to invest. Canadians are highly indebted. There's $500 billion of business money being held back because of fear of a bank credit crunch. Would you agree that now's the time for the federal government to start to address the $130 billion deficit in infrastructure?

Keeping Canada's Economy and Jobs Growing Act  She likened the government to Herbert Hoover, who in the 1930s made the Depression even more depressed by taking fiscally austere measures. The third example is The Economist magazine, a bastion of the free market and fiscal prudence. It said something similar to the IMF, that countries should take actions in the short term to support the economy and jobs while dealing with the balanced budget with a credible medium-term plan.

Keeping Canada's Economy and Jobs Growing Act  With business, consumers and exports on the sidelines as drivers of economic growth, that leaves only the public sector. Once again, the government is doing the illogical thing in pursuing austerity, cutting back public services and missing the opportunity of a lifetime to invest in Canada and Canadians. The Minister of Finance is accusing my party of recommending spending—according to him, that is why the European economies are bordering on ruin—without taking into account the role that private sector financial institutions, which are overenthusiastic, played in the impoverishment of our larger trading partners.

Business of Supply  Are there new strategies and programs, or alternatively, is this a case where the government will commit further resources to the excellent programs the member has outlined and ensure that these programs do not come under the austerity knife?

The Budget  As with a U.S. stimulus program that ended prematurely, Canada risks a return to slow growth as [the Prime Minister] turns now from stimulus to austerity. In truth of course, it is very selective austerity. He had no problem finding $6 billion for additional corporate tax cuts, or $9 billion for U.S. style mega jails, or a whopping $29 billion for shiny new F-35 fighter jets.

The Economy  When will the government realize that stale reannouncements and photo ops will not save its misguided austerity strategy?

Finance committee  Based on my observations, in real life, most of the time, a tax cut results in additional cash flow. In times like these of fiscal austerity, those people can then use that money to respect their obligations or, in times of prosperity, they can create more jobs. Cash flow is what makes a business work. The more cash flow is paid out in taxes, the less there is available to the company to be used at the discretion of the head of the company.

Finance committee  As an advisor, I would tell business owners to look closely at their expenses. In times of fiscal austerity, we need to examine and monitor spending. Trying to balance the budget and making the economy more efficient definitely makes sense, in our opinion, whether within the government or for clients in the private sector.

Agriculture committee  Some will have been plucking it off the Internet and some will not have. So let's do that. It speaks to the austerity of the committee's new mandate. It's not going to cost us anything in travel to bring them here, and it makes the little Scots guy over here happy not to spend money, Mr. Chair, if we don't have to.