Mr. Speaker, the federal Liberals say that money is not the main problem behind the health care crisis in Canada. Money may not be the only problem, but it is certainly the biggest problem.
In 1994-95 my province of Newfoundland received $425 million in cash transfers for health and post-secondary education. In this year's federal budget it will receive only $271 million. Twenty years ago federal transfers paid 50% of Newfoundland's health care costs. Today the federal government pays less than 15%. That sounds like a money problem to me.
It is time for the Liberals to stop playing politics with health care and start using their budget surplus to pay for the health care system that Canadians need and want.