Madam Speaker, the Bloc Quebecois agrees with the five main principles of the Canada Health Act. However, and I repeat, we do not agree with dumping the deficit onto the provinces by reducing transfer payments to them, while they are facing increased health costs. The government reduces the payments and then tells the provinces they have to manage the health care system as usual, as the act provided in 1977.
I myself do not want a two-tier or a two-speed system. However, if things continue the way they are going, the provinces will be forced to find a way to manage to serve the public and administer the health care system, because they cannot manage it with the cuts in the transfer payments. This is what is happening, and the government keeps on cutting. The effect of this, at the moment, is that it is better to be rich and healthy than poor and sick.