Mr. Speaker, in 1993 the federal government deficit was $42 billion, and all the provinces had deficits.
Today the Government of Canada is in the position of having a surplus, as are all provinces, with the exception of Ontario, which has opted for lowering taxes more quickly.
We have the possibility of helping our universities. The future of the country depends on it. This is a very important issue, as everyone realizes.
Last year it was important to do something for health, and now it will be important to look at what we can do for the universities. A fair bit has already been done, particularly in the field of research, and particularly in Quebec, which receives 28% of R and D spending for universities.