Mr. Speaker, what I am proposing is very simple. Since the Liberals came to power in 1993, the average debt level of students in Canada has nearly doubled. Is there not a connection somewhere between this government's policies and students' average debt level? I think it is easy to figure out.
The planned cuts I mentioned in the conclusion to my speech just now, which were initially to cut $48 billion in social transfers between 1994 and 2003, primarily in post-secondary education—in health and social assistance, but in education as well—say it all.
We cannot cut billions in the education sector year after year and think that governments across Canada will be able to absorb all these expenditures without an impact on tuition fees and on student debt levels.
What would I do in their shoes? First, I would start by minding my own business. Education is an area of provincial jurisdiction. Second, I would cancel the cuts planned between now and 2003 in the education sector. It seems to me that that would be the first step, if I were concerned about improving the situation for students and the level of education across Canada. I would give back to the provinces what the government took away from them for education. This will help people and will not be a strictly political gesture to get some visibility as federalists.