Mr. Speaker, I thank you for noting that if you had enforced the standing orders, you would have had to interrupt the member for Hochelaga—Maisonneuve earlier. Thank you for this clarification.
When the debate began the Minister of Health gave an overview of the amounts transferred to the provinces, to Quebec and the other provinces. We will not repeat all the figures he mentioned, which are public knowledge, but transfers are now up to an unprecedented high of $31 billion, if cash transfers and tax points are taken into account.
These transfers have increased by 25% in the last two years. These are substantial increases.
This morning the Minister of Health also offered to work at getting funding increased but said that the government would be working on putting new ideas together for renewing the system.
I wish to point out that this is pretty much how Mr. Landry, Quebec's minister of finance, sees things.
He said “Yes, we left $860 million sitting in a bank in Toronto. This is money transferred by the federal government. We left it in Toronto because we have to discuss in Quebec how we are going to use this money”.
Mrs. Marois, his colleague, said “I have no time to keep up with what is happening in finance. I am looking after health”. Mr. Landry said yesterday and today “This requires some thought”.
He is reiterating remarks by the Arpin commission report released last September. He is repeating thoughts of the former minister of health, Mr. Castonguay. He is reiterating the comments by Mr. Dutil, the head of the federation of general practitioners, who said it will take some thought and an attempt to find new ways to organize health care services rather than just having money thrown around here and there.
When the people of the Bloc say that Ottawa has the money and the provinces have the needs, I would like to point out that right now over $800 million intended to meet the needs of Quebec is sitting in Toronto.
What does the member for Hochelaga—Maisonneuve have to say to that?