Mr. Speaker, I accept the invitation of my colleague for Guelph-Wellington.
If she really wants us to, we will go to her riding to meet the people, the researchers, the people affected by poverty or unemployment, and we will explain to them as follows: in the past three years and a half, the Liberal government has cut $4.5 billion in transfer payments to the provinces to assist with their welfare, education and health programs. Her government has also jeopardized the income security system in Canada, the health system, and part of the research activities.
Yes, we accept her invitation, and we will go and tell her constituents in Guelph-Wellington the truth, no offence meant to my colleague, as I do respect her abilities.
I would also like to challenge what she has said about the $800 million foundation. Let them stop treating us like imbeciles. The $800 million is $800 million for the foundation, but new R & D investments represent $180 million yearly, and $180 million is very little in damage control by the federal government, after it has made hundreds of millions of dollars in cuts, $500 million in R & D alone. Part of the $4.5 billion in the Canada social transfer went for funding research activities and infrastructures.
They have made cuts here, and now they are offering a little treat, a little band-aid, a little ointment on the huge gaping wound they themselves have caused. And they are patting themselves on the back for it.
Yes, we will go to your riding to explain that to your fellow citizens, as we have been explaining it ever since you brought down this clown's budget.