Finance committee  I can mention exactly what it is. It's only the one line. It repeals the Federal Balanced Budget Act, or proposes a repeal to the Federal Balanced Budget Act, deeming it to never have come into force.

Finance committee  Under the current act, which was passed with the Budget Implementation Act, from budget 2015, a government would need to impose an operating budget freeze on departments, and a salary freeze on ministers and deputy ministers, that would come into force this fiscal year, and it wo

Finance committee  According to the Federal Balanced Budget Act, those measures are expected to come into force this fiscal year. What the government has chosen instead to do is to propose a repeal of the act deeming it never to have come into force.

Finance committee  I'm not an expert at past legislation.

Finance committee  I wasn't. I'm from the fiscal policy division. You would have to speak to our legal branch in that case.

Finance committee  I'm not aware of anything for the federal government, no.

Finance committee  At the federal level, yes.

Finance committee  I'm the senior chief of expenditure analysis and forecasting.

Finance committee  Yes. Exactly.

Finance committee  I think the—

Finance committee  Yes. Absolutely.

Finance committee  It's true.

Finance committee  There are two situations. There could be a recession or an extraordinary circumstance, in fact. In the case of a recession, the proposed act indicates that the recession ends when Statistics Canada reports the second quarter of economic growth. In the case of an extraordinary cir

Finance committee  No. In fact, the legislation lists specifically the—

Finance committee  I believe that would depend on the circumstance, and it would be up to the government at that time.