Mr. Speaker, in announcing yesterday the amendments to Bill-C-76, the Minister of Finance tried to play down the motion tabled by the official opposition denouncing the federal government's intention to impose new standards on the provinces for social programs. I would point out that, with this bill, Ottawa is limiting the provinces to assuming a mere advisory role in the process of defining the national standards.
My question is for the Prime Minister. Would he acknowledge that the most concrete way to show his government does not intend to impose new national standards on the provinces is by amending Bill C-76 so that these new standards are submitted to all the provinces for their approval?