Mr. Speaker, there are three errors in what the member for Calgary—Nose Hill just said.
First, the total transfers reached a high in 1993-94 of $29 billion when we consider the cash component and the tax points. Under this budget they will go to about $31 billion, an all-time high. They have not been cut. We have to take into consideration not just the cash component but the tax points which we gave to the provinces which they can draw down on and which represent cash in their hands. Forgone taxes at the federal level, increased tax revenue at the provincial level, it is cash in their hands along with the cheque we actually give them.
Second, the member was absolutely wrong when she said that the $2.5 billion in the February budget was over five years. That can be drawn down immediately by the provinces.
Third, she was wrong when she said that we are not prepared to give extra to health care. We have called on the provinces to send their health ministers to Ottawa to work out with us the ways to preserve the Canada Health Act and medicare. We will not give it no strings attached. We want to make sure that one of the best medical delivery systems in the world is maintained and is not eroded by provinces that want to privatize it, such as Alberta. We will not allow that.