Mr. Speaker, in its budget, the federal government is downloading part of its deficit to the provinces by cutting $7 billion from transfer payments for social programs. As a result, Quebec alone will lose $650 million next year and $1.9 billion in 1997-98. The Quebec Minister of Finance roundly criticized the negative impact of a budget that will force the Quebec government to reduce services or raise taxes or both.
Will the Minister of Finance have the basic honesty to admit to the House that cuts in transfer payments mean that Quebec will have a shortfall of $2.5 billion three years from now, including $1.9 billion for 1997 alone, which is 41.7 per cent of total transfer payments for that year?