Mr. Speaker, the consensus of finance ministers from all provinces is clear. They have told the government it should begin by putting the money it took from the provinces back into social programs, health and education before spending right and left on new federal programs.
Now that the federal government is getting ready to free up surpluses, does the Minister of Finance, who reduced the deficit on the backs of the provinces, not find it indecent, even insulting, to now hand out gifts using a small part of the money it cut the provinces?