Finance committee  I'm releasing a paper next Monday for The Macdonald-Laurier Institute. I'm making an argument along that line and putting forward, which no one has put forward thus far, to my knowledge, in Canada, an actual test. I'm not against deficits, but we talk about them and we say we need a deficit and we say we have to stimulate, but nobody explains when or why or how.

Finance committee  I argue, because of the views I've developed, that governments typically face spending problems, because there are always more demands than you can possibly meet. There are going to be hundreds of groups coming before you at this committee saying, “Spend, spend, spend, or the the world's going to come to an end.

Finance committee  He knows the word “no”.

Finance committee  I'll just shotgun them. We do talk about this issue. There are many economists talking about it right now. How can we move the needle? One is restructuring. That's not austerity. Restructuring means opening up the economy, getting rid of interprovincial trade barriers, having more free trade agreements, and doing anything that encourages, fosters, and facilitates economic growth, including pipelines.

Finance committee  But I'm not suggesting that gas isn't important.

Finance committee  Sure.

Finance committee  I appreciate the question. My best defence, of course, is this is StatsCan data, using the input-output data as the basis of setting up the NAICS codes. The NAICS is the North American Industrial Classification System, which chops up the Canadian economy into all of the different sectors and subsectors and industries and so forth.

Finance committee  No.

Finance committee  Agreed.

Finance committee  Yes.

Finance committee  That was additional CPP.

Finance committee  Natural resources, yes.

Finance committee  Hopefully.

Finance committee  Population increased by 11%.

Finance committee  I'm sorry. What was the question?