Mr. Speaker, I have to say from the outset that I am very disappointed that the New Democratic Party has chosen not to joint the rest of the opposition to force the federal government to give back to the provinces the money it has taken from them.
When the present Liberal government decided to cut transfer payments, mainly for health care, it did not ask Quebec, Ontario or any other province what kind of cuts it should make. They were not consulted.
The government slashed transfer payments to the provinces, forcing Quebec, Ontario and the other provinces, still trying to achieve zero deficit, to impose radical health reforms, the results of which we see today. But, first and foremost, the primary responsibility belongs to the federal government. Quebec is still paying $28 billion in taxes to Ottawa, but receiving less and less services.
Of course I am very disappointed that the NDP has decided not to support the Bloc Quebecois on this issue, especially since it claims to represent the extreme left wing in this House. That party claims to be the great democrat, to speak on behalf of workers. It has ties to the labour unions. As a matter of fact, the workers of Quebec and Canada are the ones who use our health care system more and more. The demands of the Bloc Quebecois are supported by central labour bodies. I think the extreme left wing is not a good place to be in Parliament.
I want to ask my colleague from the NDP the following question: does he not think that the federal government should give back to the provinces, unconditionally, what it took from them, and let each province manage its own health care system?
The members of the National Assembly of Quebec are not a bunch of boy scouts. They are not a bunch of losers. They are capable of managing and they have a mandate to do so. I think responsibility for health care management belongs to the provinces, and the federal government should give them their money back so they can manage in a fair and equitable manner the health care services that Quebeckers and Canadians are asking for.