Mr. Speaker, I appreciate that very thoughtful question from my friend.
What has happened in Alberta and Ontario since those governments have taken charge is that we have seen a reduction in taxes, a reduction in debt and ultimately a huge increase in the number of people working in those provinces. What that has meant, under the governments of Mike Harris and Ralph Klein, is that hundreds of thousands of people are being brought into the workforce, some of them for the first time. They are given skills, experience, contacts and ultimately a wage. As a result of all those people working more money pours into the coffers.
What has happened as a result of that? More money is going into health care in both Alberta and Ontario than has ever gone into health care in those provinces, thanks to the provincial governments. On the other hand, we have the Liberal federal government, the supposed defender of medicare, cutting the life out of medicare, cutting ultimately $21 billion out of medicare.
We can thank Mike Harris and Ralph Klein for helping health care recover at the provincial level. Thank goodness for them, voices of sanity in this country.