Mr. Speaker, we know that transfer payments for health and postsecondary education have been reduced over the last several years.
I personally asked the Minister of Health to give me the figures in constant dollars on a per capita basis. There has been indeed a 7 per cent reduction over the last four or five years. Obviously, this has had an impact on the provinces' ability to assume their responsibilities with regard to health.
In Quebec, for example, we know that the Minister of Finance has announced a $1.5 billion reduction in transfer payments for health and postsecondary education for next year. At the same time, we learn that the federal government is going to spend $2 billion to buy armoured vehicles.
There is some type of dichotomy here. I want to believe that we do need armoured vehicles, but health is also essential. Armoured vehicles will not be much help to us when we get sick. There are societal choices to be made.
I know that Quebec would not have made that choice. I know that if Quebec had collected its tax money directly from the taxpayers, it would not have chosen to invest that money in armoured vehicles rather than in health care.
I would like my colleague opposite, if she can listen to me, to talk about the societal choices that are made here, in this House, and that have an impact not only in Quebec but in every province. These are the choices that have Canadians increasingly worried about their province's ability to provide them with the health care services they need, considering the fact that they have paid for these services but, for some reason or other, that money seems to have come to Ottawa on a one way ticket.
How is it that this money finds its way here but is not being returned where it should to fund something as essential and fundamental as health?
Lip service is a nice thing, but here we should do something more. We heard from the MP opposite. I am waiting for your answer.