Mr. Speaker, the hon. opposition member describes the situation in the territories that exists with regard to all people there who are ill.
The geography of the territories is such, and I know full well having visited there, that it is very difficult for anyone who is ill to cope with distance, time and conditions. This does not change under this set of circumstances but is in play day in day out and a part of the geography and difficulties of that land.
There has been a need to reduce transfer payments. While that was done it was stopped at $11.2 billion and restored to $12 billion. There are many different causes for the changes that have come about, many by the provincial and territorial decisions that have been made when addressing their systems of delivery. There are choices in that regard in addition to coping with all we have had to do to put our books in order.
I do not see anything particularly different in this set of circumstances other than what exists when relating to health care delivery in the territories.