Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Minister of Finance should have announced in his budget that the health and social transfer floor the provinces were promised would kick in immediately. Instead, we have to wait until the next century and likely a different government.
The premier of Saskatchewan says that by 1997-98 the province will still have $200 million less per year to spend on health, education and social services and approximately $35 million less for each of the two years after that.
This means that as Saskatchewan is crafting its own budget it is looking at a dramatic cut over the next four years to finance its education and health programs.
The finance minister says he is protecting the provinces but the provinces are saying they cannot absorb four more years of cuts.
This is most disappointing, especially given the government's track record of fulfilling its promise to get rid of the GST. Can it really expect us to trust it when it says a future government will honour this promise of a health and social transfer floor in the year 2000?