Mr. Speaker, the GST issue gets stranger every day. Now we are hearing an absurd rumour-at least I hope it is absurd-that the federal government is willing to spend $1.2 billion to harmonize the GST with three of Canada's smallest provinces. It is instructive to note that $1.2 billion is also the amount that it is cutting in transfers to universities across the country.
Is the finance minister so desperate to fudge his GST promise that he willing to spend $1.2 billion to save the Deputy Prime Minister's skin while at the same time cutting funding to universities by the same amount of money?