Mr. Speaker, three provinces, along with Quebec, constituted a group determined to get the federal government to respect the common front on the social union. They were Ontario, Alberta and, to a lesser extent and a bit later on, British Columbia.
Quebec very quickly found itself isolated and, less than two weeks later, these three provinces hit the jackpot in the federal budget.
My question is for the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs: Were there in fact discussions and negotiations on a financial basis with the three provinces?