Derek McDowell (Labour)

Senator O'Toole sought this debate because he questioned the independence of some of the economists and other authorities who regularly lecture us with regard to the economy. I could not agree more and I am not taking a cheap shot as this is an important point. Much of our discussion on these issues is informed by people who should carry a bias warning. The majority of them are academics or are those we hear most often on radio and television, those working for financial institutions with an interest in a particular analysis.