▁ 3 2 0 ▁Bill ion ▁dollars , ▁and ▁was ▁the ▁highest ▁among ▁all ▁industrial ized ▁countries ▁except ▁Italy . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁months ▁prior ▁to ▁the ▁presentation ▁of ▁the ▁budget , ▁the ▁government ▁often ▁bought ▁up ▁the ▁subject ▁of ▁the ▁deb t ▁and ▁the ▁def ic it ▁in ▁public ▁appearances , ▁making ▁the ▁case ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁putting ▁the ▁Canadian ▁economy ▁in ▁great ▁danger . ▁These ▁efforts ▁were ▁fruit ful . ▁According ▁to ▁gall up ▁pol ling ▁data ▁from ▁March ▁ 1 9 8 9 , ▁the ▁def ic it ▁was ▁second ▁in ▁the ▁list ▁of ▁the ▁people ' s ▁major ▁concerns , ▁with ▁ 1 8 % ▁saying ▁it ▁was ▁the ▁issue ▁that ▁required ▁the ▁greatest ▁attention , ▁behind ▁the ▁environment ▁at ▁ 2 8 %. ▁In ▁January ▁ 1 9 8 9 , ▁that ▁number ▁was ▁ 1 0 %, ▁and ▁ 4 % ▁during ▁the ▁last ▁election ▁cycle . ▁▁ ▁Le ak ▁ ▁On ▁April ▁ 2 6 , ▁ 1 9 8 9 , ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁budget ▁were ▁le aked ▁to ▁the ▁press . ▁Global ▁TV ▁Parliament ▁Hill ▁b ureau ▁chief ▁Doug ▁Small ▁read ▁the ▁highlight s ▁of ▁the ▁budget ▁on ▁air . ▁He ▁had ▁received ▁the ▁documents ▁that ▁afternoon ▁from ▁John ▁Apple by , ▁a ▁Department ▁of ▁National ▁Def ence ▁cl erk ▁( wh ose ▁friend ▁worked ▁at ▁the ▁rec y cling ▁plant ▁where ▁it ▁was ▁found ). ▁This ▁forced ▁minister ▁Wilson ▁to ▁call ▁a ▁press ▁conference ▁at ▁ 5 : 3 0 ▁PM ▁that ▁day