Madam Speaker, I would like to comment on the Bloc member's remarks. I think he did not read this budget, the federal government's budget for 2000-01. Perhaps he read the Quebec budget or some other budget.
Let me quote him some figures relating to transfer payments to Quebec. Over the five years of the budget plan, Quebec will receive $59 billion.
That is $59 billion over the five years of the budget plan.
In 2000-01 the transfers to Quebec will exceed $11.5 billion. They will account for about 25% of the province of Quebec's estimated revenues. They are expected to be about $1,566 per person. That is about 18% above the national average.
Perhaps the member opposite would read the budget. He would discover that there is $59 billion that will go to Quebec over the next five years. In fact the province of Quebec receives almost $5 billion in equalization payments. Quebec receives that because it is a poor province. I have said in the House before that there is a reason it is a poor province.
It is because of the policies of the Parti Quebecois and the policies of the Bloc Quebecois. That is the reason.
Regarding taxes, let me give a few examples because I think the member opposite simply has not read the budget.
Low income Canadians who pay about 1% of the net taxes collected by the Government of Canada will receive almost 40% of the tax reduction flowing from indexation. For example, a one earner family of four with an income of under $35,000 will receive more in benefits than it pays in the year 2004. A one earner family of four with an income of $60,000 will see its taxes go down by 24% in the year 2004.
I am wondering if the Bloc member opposite read the federal budget for 2000. Did he read it?