Human Resources committee  It's difficult to determine whether the gap would be bigger if we had better data. One can assume that it probably would be bigger, but it's very difficult to say that with a high level of certainty. It's not known for sure, but my bet would be that it's probably higher. As to w

Government Operations committee  The relevance of having a debt-to-GDP ratio as a fiscal anchor is generally seen as a good way to measure the capacity of a country to support its debt and to service it. It gives not only the absolute size of the debt, but the size of the debt in comparison to the size of the ec

Government Operations committee  You make a good point, so that could be a fiscal anchor in itself. We will ensure that our debt does not exceed a level at which we have to pay more than x per cent of our tax revenues towards interest. That's why I am saying that if a fiscal anchor is necessary, or is useful

Government Operations committee  In a time of crisis, when the GDP is going down, the fiscal anchor that's debt to GDP gives very odd results. That's why you have to look at it over more than just one year. It's a good point.

Government Operations committee  They've gone out to a couple of departments, but some ministers were quite busy with the pandemic and their business. I've asked ministers' offices again, if they have no concerns with the MOUs, to please sign them as soon as possible.

Government Operations committee  I'm confident that I'll have key ones in the next four weeks, with one being signed hopefully in the next two weeks—probably with the Department of Finance—and then others following shortly thereafter.

Government Operations committee  That's something we have not looked into, because we don't have reliable, solid data on recipients of CERB, for example, by income group. It's not something we have looked into.

Government Operations committee  Certainly if you have an interest as a committee or as a parliamentarian, it's something that I'm sure either the library could do or the Auditor General, because it would be looking back at expenditures that have taken place. We can probably have a discussion on that. Yes, it'

Government Operations committee  I think there's more to it. It's not just a lag; there's also the issue of people who were still employed, using StatsCan's definition, but not working a sufficient number of hours to make a living and so were eligible for CERB. They were thus not counted as unemployed but were s

Government Operations committee  I know the European Union has temporarily lifted its Maastricht requirements because of the pandemic, for obvious reasons. Trevor or Xiaoyi may know more on the international comparisons.

Government Operations committee  I will defer to Ms. Yan on that interesting question.

Government Operations committee  Yes, we are fully prepared. Especially considering that it's a minority situation, we have kept a state of readiness that has been ongoing—not since the last election, obviously, but for the last several months. We have been getting ready for it, getting ready to cost electoral p

Government Operations committee  I am in the process of having memoranda of understanding with key departments be signed, such as we had in the last electoral campaign. So far, they haven't been signed yet.

Government Operations committee  In terms of transparency with the transfers to the provinces, the federal government clearly explains the intended targets of the amounts it hands over to the provinces and territories, including for the fight against COVID-19. It is clearly in its interests to do so. The questi

Government Operations committee  Thank you for your question. I am probably not in the best position to tell you what effects the pandemic has had on aerospace. But we could look at the sector and report on it, if the committee so wishes. As you say, the sector is an important one for the Canadian economy. Cle