Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I want to thank the witness for his candid responses.
I want to make it clear that given this formula, it's very clear to me and to most Canadians that there will be increases for the next five years of 6%, and thereafter a minimum increase of 3% for the Canadian health transfer for many years to come. Increase means increase means increase. I want to make that clear. For whatever reason, some people don't understand that an increase is more, it's not less.
Having said that, you made a very good point about budgets that have been projected by the provinces. What is really surprising to me is that as the federal government gives a contribution toward health care--because it is, as you said, simply a contribution--of 6% every year as an increase, the provinces' own budgets show they are not spending 6% more. You went over a number of numbers--two point something, three point something.... So in fact the average of provinces, when you look at all of their budgets, is a 3.8% increase, and the federal government is giving them 6% over the next five years.
Am I accurate with that number--it's an average of about 3.8% that they're projecting to spend?