Mr. Speaker, I would like to put a question to the member for St. Paul's.
We will recall that, on February 4, 1999, under the social agreement signed by the premiers, except the Premier of Quebec naturally, and the Prime Minister of Canada, the Government of Canada promised to consult the provincial and territorial governments at least a year before renewing or significantly changing the funding of the existing social transfers to the provinces.
My question is as follows: How do you explain the government's going back on its word and its signature, since two weeks later, the federal government radically changed the formula for allocating social transfers among the provinces? Please explain this change and this going back on its commitment.