Mr. Speaker, I have the following comment for the hon. member for Saint-Denis. Will the hon. member promise, on behalf of her government, that the federal government will stop reducing transfer payments once and for all? Could she promise, on behalf of her government, that these cuts will be stopped once and for all?
The government is trying to balance its public finances, and this is not easy. I think it will manage. There is a budget plan. At the summit last year, there was an agreement with employer associations and unions in Quebec. There was a consensus to the effect that Quebec's budget would be balanced by March 31, 2000. I think we are on the right track.
However, if the federal government keeps reducing historic transfer payments to Quebec, it will be well high impossible.