Madam Speaker, I heard my colleague twice repeat a statement I would not consider very well thought out. I almost wanted to say that it was a bit preposterous. He said that, if the government sent money to the provinces, and Ontario in particular, the Government of Ontario would misuse it. What he said for Ontario goes for Quebec and the other provinces. How can he say such a thing?
You too, Madam Speaker, no doubt reacted within yourself as well. Ask anyone to say who is better able to manage public funds. The answer is those closest to the public. Everyone agrees, except the hon. member. In his opinion if the government sends money to the provinces they can waste it as they like.
Let us just look at what goes on here. Earlier, he mentioned transfers. He seemed to think it was nothing. This is another terrible thing he said. When the government cuts transfers to the provinces, very often no mention is made of it, and very often the cuts happen during recess. It looks alright, no one sees it.
On the other hand, when a little money is given back to the provinces, you may be sure that the Canadian flag will be flown and press conferences held to say that everything is fine. The government pulls out all the stops to restore its reputation.
However, the people in my riding of Matapédia—Matane are suffering. Unemployment there is very high. Why? Because the belt is being tightened so much. I always say that when the tap is partly shut off, there is no water down below. For years, the federal government has been shutting off the tap bit by bit and not entirely honestly. At this point, people at home and in other ridings are suffering terribly.
I have a question for my colleague. Will he have the decency to say that the cuts really hurt the provinces?