Mr. Speaker, I was somewhat surprised to hear the hon. member make unfounded allegations which are very far from the truth.
For the benefit of the House and of Quebeckers, I would like to point out a few things.
First, equalization, which was expressly designed to eliminate regional disparities, will greatly benefit Quebec. For example, over the next five years, Quebec will receive a $1.4 billion cheque, which it did not even anticipate. This $1.4 billion given by the federal government to Quebec is almost equal to the province's annual deficit.
Moreover, over the next five years, Quebec will receive 78% or $566 million of the $722 million in new funding that comes from technical improvements to the program.
Also, when it comes to total transfers, including the Canada health and social transfer and the equalization program, the figures are impressive.
Over the next 13 months, Quebec will receive $2 billion, that is 48% of the $4.2 billion allocated to the provinces. It will also receive $5.9 billion, or 30% of the $19.6 billion. Finally, Quebec will get 29% of all transfers, even though it only accounts for 24% of Canada's population.
The hon. member should congratulate the Liberal members from Quebec for their work, along with their colleague, the Minister of Finance, and the Government of Canada. He should applaud them for their good work and for meeting Quebeckers' needs.