So are we.
I'm going to raise with you right now a piece of paper that was distributed today on estimated provincial costs on one bill, Bill C-4. The government now says they're going to ask provinces to eat $2.467 billion in costs over the next five years. That's the cost to the provinces in five years to implement youth justice.
The costing requires consultation and judgment, right? Are provinces stakeholders? Shouldn't provinces know that this is coming down the line? Shouldn't we as parliamentarians know, on behalf of Canadians, whether or not provinces can afford $2.467 billion on one bill over five years before giving this government the authority to spend more money on Bill C-4 at the federal level?
How is it possible that we could be expected to do that unless we exercise our responsibilities and ask where the provincial money is going to come from?”