Mr. Speaker, the federal government is an important funding partner. The provinces deliver services. In order to assist the provinces the federal government in the budget made the enormous commitment of $11.5 billion over the next five years. What is really significant is that $3.5 billion of that money is available immediately and the provinces will decide how they will use those dollars to solve whatever problems they have. We want to know that people in Canada will have access to the services they need when they get sick. They need them but it is up to the provinces to deliver those services.
In the House of Commons on February 19th, 1999. See this statement in context.