Mr. Speaker, when analysing the budget, we must remember that 84 per cent of cuts in federal government spending were made to transfer payments and subsidies to third parties, individuals or provinces, while only 16 per cent of cuts were made to departments or crown corporations. These figures come from the minister's own budget.
I refer to the Prime Minister, who stated in this House on December 13, 1995: "It is very important we continue to make visible transfers-like the heritage minister, the flag minister-so that the people-will see that the federal government helps pay for the social programs the provincial governments manage".
Will the Minister of Finance admit that this government is interested solely in visibility, that the only thing it is trying to do is to improve its own image, by blackening that of the provinces, which are forced to make the cuts for it?