Madam Speaker, I think all of us in the House recognize the fact that the highway system is the responsibility of the provinces. However, let us face facts. The Liberal government has cut over the past seven years funding for health care and education and has downloaded the cost to the provincial governments to the point where they cannot function any more. The hon. member has the gall to stand in his place and say it is the provinces which neglected the highway system. The provinces neglected the highway system because the government cut, slashed and burned. It left the provinces high and dry.
Provinces such as Nova Scotia are in hard financial times. Our provincial finance minister is telling us this every day. We are anticipating a budget, which should come down very soon, but I do not particularly look forward to it.
It is partly the responsibility of the federal government, which has slashed at every opportunity, without care for our young people in schools who are the future of our country. The government has not thought about the elderly, the people which made this country great. The government has not thought about the sick. Government members ignore our future and turn their backs on those who made this country great.