Mr. Speaker, I listened with great interest to the presentation made by my hon. colleague from the opposition. In his remarks, he attacks the federal government on the grounds that apparently, the federal government does not work in co-operation with the provinces.
In fact, this is exactly what this government is doing. With the Minister responsible for Intergovernmental Affairs, we are presently reviewing all federal programs to find out the best way of delivering these programs. If, for example, it turns out that the provinces are the ones in the best position to look after a given program, this program will be transferred to the provinces. If the most appropriate level of government is the municipal level, then the program will be transferred to the municipalities. That is how this program review works.
As for federal transfer payments, the problem we used to have in the past is that the provinces did not know from one year to the next how much they would be getting from the federal government. Our government has assured the provinces that arrangements will be negotiated to cover more than a year, at least five years, so that the provinces will know in advance how much they will receive from the federal government.
I can assure my colleague that, when he talks about education, whether the money comes from the federal, provincial or municipal government, the money all comes from the same place, out of the same taxpayers' pockets.
Social services programs do not require additional funding, but the system certainly needs to be simplified. Efficiency has to be improved and money spent more wisely, especially in education, where we spent $50 billion each year. This is more than in almost any other country in the world. All these programs must be assessed to ensure adequate program delivery. We must make sure that essential services, national services, remain national essential services. That is why a review is necessary.
If my colleague wants the federal government to introduce new programs, he is going to have to tell us where to get the money. However, the idea is not to turn off the tap, as our colleagues from the Reform Party are suggesting, and leave all existing programs as they are. How can one eliminate the deficit in this manner? They have yet to bring forth in this House a single proposal as to how they plan to eliminate the deficit within three years.