The Budget  Mr. Speaker, we set out a very clear plan to preserve our social programs. The Canada social transfer provides us with a basis to do that. It provides us with the basis to do that in very straightened circumstances. I continue to have some difficulty understanding the nature of the question.

The Budget  Speaker, this is the second day in a row on which the leader of the third party has referred to apparent briefings or statements by unnamed Department of Finance officials. I think we should make the record clear. I do not know what the leader of the Reform Party is talking about. That makes me a fairly typical Canadian. The fact is that I am really not able to respond. I would like to respond to the leader of the third party's statement, but I do not know about the briefings that he is raising and that he raised yesterday.

The Budget  Speaker, when I met the provincial finance ministers before the budget and we discussed the changes in transfer payments, I told them I would be ready to meet them as soon as the budget was brought down. So the answer to your question is yes. In fact, I have already made that clear to the finance ministers. The Leader of the Opposition mentioned arithmetic. Well, there is a difference of at least one billion dollars between the figures quoted by the leader of the Bloc Quebecois and those quoted by the Quebec finance minister, so you will have to check with headquarters.

The Budget  Mr. Speaker, I would appreciate a clear answer. I would like the minister to tell us whether he will immediately call a federal-provincial conference to discuss how the cuts in transfer payments will be distributed.

The Budget  If there is any uncertainty, and in fact there is not, since the technical document published by the Department of Human Resources Development says this will be done on a per capita basis, and the minister says, on page 17 of the budget speech, that he will apply the same criterion-if there is any uncertainty, then it should be cleared up. Yesterday and again today, the minister said that he was ready to meet the provinces the very next day. Perhaps the minister would like to tell us whether he agrees the provinces should be summoned immediately to a formal federal-provincial conference, where he would clarify the issues and tell us what the repercussions will be for Quebec?

Vision Awareness Week  It is an annual public awareness campaign sponsored by Canadian optometrists. This year's theme is "Hope is in sight. Good vision and literacy: There is a clear connection". Can you imagine if all of us who wear glasses went without them for a day or even half a day? That would put us in the position of those I am addressing today. Many Canadians cannot read well because they cannot see well.

Health Care  Fifty years ago others lost their farms and businesses for reasons of health and health expenses. Because of that they also lost hope for the future. It is clear now that this government is intent on doing away with national standards with the national health care system. In fact rather than building Canada, the Prime Minister has con- firmed today the government has set us on a course to dismantle this country.

Save Your Vision Week  This is an annual event to foster public awareness sponsored by the Canadian Association of Optometrists. This year's theme is: "Hope is in sight. Good vision and literacy: There is a clear connection". Many Canadians are unable to read simply because they do not see well. Children do not learn to read if they cannot focus on the blackboard or on the words in a book. One child in six has a vision problem, which makes it hard for him or her to learn and to read.

Firearms  He has consistently asked for the establishment of a national firearms advisory council whose members would be made up of a cross-section of non-partisan people. I would like his message to be heard loud and clear and to pay tribute to his tireless efforts on behalf of responsible recreational firearms users.

House Of Commons Standing Orders  However the minister refused to say where she stood on this issue. I would say also it is clear that the direct health cost results of lowering the tax will place a further burden on the provinces. Today there is a news release from the British Columbia health minister which states tobacco related illness is estimated to cost British Columbia nearly $1 billion annually.

House Of Commons Standing Orders  At that time the standing committees were realigned to match the new structure of the government to make it absolutely clear which committee would deal with which of the departments and agencies. One important feature of the reforms adopted last week was the confirmation that the standing committees and not the legislative committees would be the usual and customary route for the consideration of the committee stage of bills.

The Budget  Madam Speaker, I would like to make my position very clear that I do not believe for a second that the people of Quebec, given the opportunity to vote in a referendum that is fairly put to the people, will vote in favour of separation. The member and I have a very substantial difference.

The Budget  However, it is important to make a point about standards. In all regions of Canada where the members of the Committee have travelled, il was clear that everywhere, except in Quebec, people want strong national standards. As far as they are concerned, Quebecers want, with a few exceptions, to have their own standards. Quebecers are a people, even though they do not always call themselves that way et they want to make their own standards.

The Budget  However, my hon. colleague gives me the opportunity to say that what the federal government is about to do with its Human Resources Investment Fund is to provide itself with a fat account, because it will be supplied both by the programs presently financed through the Consolidated Revenue Fund and-this is made very clear in the budget-by the reallocation of the moneys saved by a new reform of unemployment insurance. That means that the government will provide itself with a big fund to take action in areas of provincial jurisdiction.

The Budget  Reform of pensions is a fundamental and basic issue. It has been looked at. The Prime Minister was very clear when he talked about reforming members' pensions. We have had a report from a third party that talked about a lot of reforms to pensions and to MPs incomes that I do not see the hon. member discussing in total.