Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Finance. In anticipation of the federal-provincial meeting of finance ministers scheduled for tomorrow, the provinces have cautioned Ottawa against the temptation to cut federal transfer payments to the provinces, thus irresponsibly shovelling its deficit into their back yards. The provinces clearly refuse to be left holding the bag as Ottawa withdraws its financial support for social programs.
Will the Minister of Finance undertake tomorrow to transfer to the provinces not only the responsibility for social programs, but also adequate fiscal resources to fund these programs?