If the debt to GDP ratio continues to drop, that ratio may eventually become almost negligible. However, since deficits are still being racked up, the debt continues to rise forever. Debt will not go to zero unless it is paid off which requires surpluses :-) Chretien and Martin paid down $100 billion in debt because they ran fiscal surpluses and had the funds to pay some down. Harper did too for one or two years but he had already eliminated surpluses by reducing the GST by 2% and continuing drops in corporate taxes. Remember how Conservatives were saying before Harper was first elected that the Liberals' surpluses were because the government was taking too much taxpayer money? Now it seems that surpluses or at least balanced budgets are in for them, even though Harper was no good at that kind of thing!