Mr. Speaker, on May 8, 1998, I asked the Deputy Prime Minister a question. He answered that there were ongoing negotiations about the millennium scholarships. In particular, he said, and I quote:
We are trying to arrive at an agreement to co-operate with the provincial government, and our negotiations are continuing.
We know today that all that was simply a smoke screen, and that the federal government, at the urging of the Prime Minister, had decided that the millennium scholarships would be established in spite of the opposition: against the wishes of the Quebec government, against the wishes of the Quebec student federations, against the wishes of the Canadian student and university federations, which today still ask that they be turned into something else.
Two and a half billion dollars were set aside for the millennium scholarships. Quebec's share is thus some $600 million. At the same time, transfers to the provinces were cut.
Quebec has the best student loans and scholarships system in Canada. That is recognised by all the players. In fact, it is the only system where scholarships are given based on financial need. There are also loans that are provided based on financial need.
As for the Canadian system, it provided loans only. This has created a much higher debt load for Canadian students. In Quebec, there is a consensus that this $600 million should be reinvested in the system.
Of course, Mr. Charest came and softened the position of the Liberal Party of Quebec. As we know, Mr. Charest does not have any constitutional demands. He has no demands for Ottawa. Besides, the Prime Minister told him so very clearly.
Saturday, the Prime Minister of Canada put it back in his face, saying “What do you think Quebec needs? My allied in Quebec, Mr. Charest, tells me he needs nothing.” That is a problem we face.
But everyone in Quebec still wants this money to be returned to Quebeckers, to the Government of Quebec so that it can invest it in accordance with its priorities.
Out of this $600 million, Quebec could invest $20 million in the Lower St. Lawrence region that I represent. We could use the $20 million to better purpose in our schools, in our colleges, by allowing them to offer professional options better suited to the new economy, to offer agricultural programs on new production methods, on all sorts of very important sectors.
The millennium scholarships program is probably the measure that shows most clearly the government's centralising approach, but we still hope to see the government back down, and give the money back to the provinces, which are the real experts in education.
Is it possible to make the government see reason, to make it reverse its decision and give the money back to Quebec, thus allowing Quebec's educational institutions and students to redistribute the money in accordance with their needs and not to use the money for scholarships based on merit that nobody wants in Quebec?