Mr. Speaker, I listened attentively to the remarks made by my colleague from the Bloc Quebecois. It is obvious that when measures taken by the governing party are good ones-because they are in the interest of Quebec as well as Canada-such measures will always be disparaged by the party in opposition whose views are exclusively separatist.
We all know that the business and international communities have responded favourably to the budget brought down by the finance minister. In other words, it is the most responsible budget possible.
The current government said it would control the debt and the deficit, but I would also like to draw to the attention of this House remarks made during the last election campaign by the Right Hon. Prime Minister of Canada who stated that the debt and deficit must be controlled but also that a fair balance must be struck between the government's social role and the reality of budgetary constraints.
To my mind, the finance minister's budget is in every respect consistent with the Liberal philosophy of a fair balance. We will get the deficit down. Indeed, we have reached and ever surpassed our objectives because the deficit is lower than anticipated. In saying that the government has a social role to play which must be maintained, well, with this budget we have fundamentally reconsidered the role of government.
People are saying that block transfers to the provinces are disastrous, I say that is pure grandstanding. I myself was a member of the parliamentary committee on the reform of social programs and I must say that, throughout Canada, people were asking for greater flexibility for the provinces. In Quebec and everywhere, people asked for block transfers. And so when the finance minister says he is rethinking the role of government, it is in fact to restore greater autonomy to the provinces through these block transfers.
What else could people ask for? The block transfers obviously entail some cuts, but we must not lose sight of the fact that the cuts we are imposing with this transfer in regard to the Canada assistance plan, health and post-secondary education is not as harsh as the measures we have imposed on ourselves. We must remember that by making a block transfer to the provinces, we are eliminating some overlaps, thereby reducing administrative costs.
Needless to say, this budget could be described as exemplary and that is why opposition members are trying to discredit it, but they are having a hard time doing so because that is not consistent with their views. This budget has something for Quebec and the other provinces, it gives them greater autonomy. That is what Canada will be like tomorrow and it is the Liberal Party, the present government, which will bring Canada into the next century.
And now, my question. In Quebec, people talk about wanting to regain autonomy in budgetary matters, returning taxation power to the province of Quebec, about having more budgetary capacity come separation. Considering that equalization works to Quebec's advantage-