Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to engage in the debate on this motion which would advance the government's bill to implement elements of the 1996 budget.
I could not help but reach a conclusion earlier this morning that some of the opposition comments are bordering on the hysterical. I refer to some remarks of colleagues in the Reform Party. Some of the remarks are less than accurate.
I want to attempt to put some balance into the record. For example, there was a suggestion that there was a 40 per cent reduction in the transfer payments from the federal government to the provinces which impacted on education, social programs and health care.
What the Reform Party fails to acknowledge, and I stand corrected if I am wrong, is that at the time those transfers were renegotiated with the provinces there were tax points transferred as well. Tax points are the equivalent of cash.
This is a process whereby the federal government actually turns over to the province the equivalent of a tax point, 1 per cent or a portion of a point of taxes. That is worth money, just as a transfer of cash is.
For someone to stand in the House and not include that in their remarks in discussing transfers to the provinces, whether equalization or the old CAP or whether it is under the current Canada health and social transfer, is less than accurate.
There was also a remark that the federal government has closed more hospitals than the premiers. This could not possibly be a fact. Most Canadians know that the federal government does not administer hospitals.
Hospitals are administered locally and by provinces. To my knowledge, the federal government has not closed a single hospital unless there is some reference to the national defence medical centre which is not closed but which continues.
I think that is less than accurate, if I can continue to use that euphemism, in suggesting it. It is utter nonsense for the Reform Party of Canada to say, and I am quoting what the hon. member said, that the federal government has closed more hospitals than the premiers. Please set me right if I am wrong on this.