-to turn the development of a set of shared principles into a contrived issue. These hon. members would like the House, Quebecers and Canadians to believe that this whole process is nothing but a plot to underhandedly impose new conditions, methods or penalties. Mr. Speaker, I want to tell you that it is not so.
Just in case the Bloc members were daydreaming that day, although I do not believe so, let me remind you of what I said during the budget speech I delivered on February 27, 1995: "I will be inviting all provincial governments to work together on developing, through mutual consent, a set of shared principles and objectives that could underlie the Canada social transfer". This is exactly the commitment we are making in Bill C-76, without adding or deleting anything.
Of course, if there are problems, we will introduce amendments, but the goal of the government is clear: we do not want to impose anything on the provinces, we want to help the provinces and the federal government to put their financial houses in order and to give provinces a lot more flexibility. This is why I am so pleased to confirm today what the opposition leader has a little trouble with, which is our commitment to propose to the appropriate committee the following amendments.
To establish interim arrangements to finance social programs in a manner that will increase provincial flexibility. The amendment reads as follows:
Maintaining the national criteria and conditions in the Canada Health Act, including those respecting public administration, comprehensiveness, universality, portability and accessibility
and the provisions relating to extra-billing and user charges.
Also, to apply the national criterion stipulated in section 19 which requires or allows no minimum period of residence as a condition for eligibility for social assistance. The amendment reads as follows:
Promoting any shared principles and objectives that are developed, pursuant to subsection (3), with respect to the operation of social programs, other than a program for the purpose referred to in paragraph ( b ).
The Canada Health and Social Transfer shall consist of, (a) a federal income tax reduction in favour of the provinces that would enable the provinces to impose their own tax measures without a net increase in taxation; and
(b) a cash contribution not exceeding the amount computed in accordance with section 14.
The Minister of Human Resources Development shall invite representatives of all the provinces to consult and work together to develop, through mutual consent, a set of shared principles and objectives for the other social programs referred to in paragraph 1( d ) that could underlie the Canada Health and Social Transfer.
When I spoke on the budget I made it clear that the government's objectives were to clean up the nation's finances, to put the country once again on a sound financial footing and, at the same time, to give the provinces far greater flexibility in the elaboration and the design of a multitude of social programs.
We made it very clear we were imposing only two conditions on that transfer. The first was that the objectives of the Canada Health Act must be respected. It is a covenant of the government with the Canadian people. We will never allow that to be taken away.
Second, the only standard that would be imposed on other social transfers would be that no minimum residency requirement be necessary for CAP. We would not allow provinces to take welfare away from people because they had not had a long term residence within that province.
I said very clearly in this House that we had no intention of imposing anything else on the provinces, that we had no intention of imposing new national standards, that the minister simply wanted to sit down with his provincial counterparts to discuss freely with them issues such as Canadian values and the smooth running of both federal and provincial governments.
It is hard to understand that, with all the opportunities we have of working together to create jobs for our young people and to reduce poverty in Quebec, the members opposite have chosen to sidestep this issue. They come here with an artificial problem that has nothing to do with the truth and the reality of our country and of our budget.
The Bloc Quebecois is the official opposition. It has a responsibility to Canadians to speak for the nation. Members of the Bloc Quebecois talk about having an economic union. They talk about working with Canada. Let Canadians understand the way members of the Bloc Quebecois see working. Will they speak for the nation? No. Will they speak for national interest? No. Will they speak for Canadians' desire to have jobs? No. Will they speak for those who would take Canadians out of poverty and give our children a chance for a decent life? No.
What do they do? Day after day they come into the House and stand up with artificial questions that have nothing to do with the Canadian reality. Day after day they come in, as they have done today, and make up a problem. This country has problems.
We do have problems. We do not have to invent them. Why not work with us to solve the problems we have as a country? Why not join Canadians from all the provinces in saying that the real challenges lie beyond our borders? Competition comes from Japan, Germany and the United States. Competition is not between Quebecers and Albertans, but between Canadians and Japanese, between Canadians and Germans. That is where we have to look if we want to build a strong future for ourselves.
Instead of that, the Bloc Quebecois tried to create a problem because it had to find something to discuss on this opposition day. It decided that maybe it could mislead the people of Quebec by saying that the government wants to impose new national standards.
Mr. Speaker, I can assure you and I can assure the leader of the opposition that this is not true.
The Leader of the Opposition has been a member of the federal cabinet. He knows very well what kind of country Canada is, with an outstanding potential.
Let me be quite clear. This government is going to stand up for the Canada Health Act. There is no doubt about that. It will not deviate from that policy. It will also make sure no province imposes residency rules that would deprive Canadian citizens of social benefits.
We have also clearly stated that we do not intend in any way to impose national standards on any province through the budget or the Canadian social transfer legislation. The minister intends to have discussions with the provinces on whether there are other values or Canadian goals we should concentrate on.
The Leader of the Opposition is sidestepping the issue for political reasons that have nothing to do with the day-to-day life of our fellow citizens.
He and the Bloc Quebecois are once again looking for ways to create acrimony and uncertainty. Instead of fostering the well-being of Canadians, the Bloc Quebecois is trying to create a problem where there is none.
Let this country understand that the official opposition refuses not only to speak for the national interest but in this debate is refusing to speak for the interests of Quebecers.
There is no intention to impose anything on any province. There is one intention and that is to create jobs. There is one intention and that is to give our children a decent future. There is one intention and that is to protect the Canada Health Act. There is one intention and that is to make sure that residency is not a condition for welfare. There is one intention and that is for this country to realize every bit of its potential. It is to give this country and its citizens the opportunities that it has as a result of the tremendous talent that exists within the ground and the talent that walks upon it. That is what this country is all about.
The time has come for Bloc Quebecois members to join Quebecers who want to build our great country, Canada.