Mr. Chair, the federal government is proposing to pay $14 billion to Quebec and the provinces to help them cover part of the costs incurred to deal with the COVID-19 crisis. We know that the governments of Quebec and the provinces need much more than that, but this money would still be welcome, if the federal government did not attach conditions to it.
Yesterday, when I asked the government to give this money with no strings attached, a comedian on the other side said that we were asking for a blank cheque. As if the federal government, which does not manage any hospitals, which does not manage any long-term care centres, which does not manage any day care centres, which does not manage any public transportation services, knew anything about that.
Could the federal government, which knows absolutely nothing about it, simply transfer the money to the governments of Quebec and the provinces, which do know about it and have sole jurisdiction in this matter?