Absolutely, it's affordable. I am not saying it's easy, but . . . it's extremely reasonable. It would be unreasonable to have a federal government growing at much more than that; we have to learn to live within budget.

That's not very interesting to the premiers . . . They are talking big, big bucks.

One of the key things here is. . .the road infrastructure to improve Canada-U.S. trade, that's one of the best things we can do to improve productivity.

Canadians should be aware that, to meet their fiscal plan, the Conservatives will have to increase personal income taxes from their current level for 2006.

It's obvious the new finance minister has very little discretion over the next several years. The Conservative fiscal plan of election 2006 exhausted virtually all fiscal surpluses in sight.

. . . I don't think either of the Liberals or the Conservatives are going to plunge us into deficit.