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The NDP, through a parliamentary procedural manoeuvre, can force the committee to convene within five days (by next Wednesday) if at least three members of the Conservative-dominated panel request that the committee clerk call a meeting.

Three New Democrat MPs on the committee – Cullen, Pierre Dionne Labelle and Raymond Coté – have signed the letter to the clerk requesting the meeting.

“I believe it is important for Parliamentarians to examine the impacts of this dramatic shift in government finances and the weakening Canadian economy,” Cullen says in the letter to Rajotte.

“In particular, it is my belief that it would be appropriate for the Minister of Finance to appear before the committee ‘to explain the reasons for the projected deficit and present a plan for a return to balanced budgets’ as suggested by the recently passed Balanced Budget Act.”

A spokesman for Oliver would not say if the minister would appear, noting there has been “no official request from committee at this time.”

“We remain on track for a balanced budget in 2015,” said John Penner, who added that the department “included room in the budget to account for continuing weakness in the global economy.”

The Office of the Parliamentary Budget Officer earlier this week projected the government will run a $1-billion deficit in the current 2015-16 fiscal year, something Cullen says is a “significant deviation” from the $1.4-billion surplus forecast in the April budget.