Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for Frontenac—Mégantic for his question. The government shows partisan leanings too often, with examples such as this.
Last week, however, there was a federal-provincial meeting of ministers of health, focusing on Canadians' urgent priorities in connection with the health system. A consensus was reached—and this is often what people hear, or want to hear from the government, as my colleague from Frontenac—Mégantic has said—on the restoration of transfer payments for health care.
The federal Minister of Health said “It is not my responsibility any more. It is up to the premiers”. The Prime Minister said “A meeting is scheduled in August or September, and I will discuss it with my provincial counterparts at that time”.
We can see the contempt with which the government treats matters that are under provincial jurisdiction, according to the Constitution, in this instance health. When we call for the restoration of transfer payments, they come at us with all kinds of figures.
I do not want to say that the government is robbing people, for that would be unparliamentary language. I will, however, give an example from outside parliament. I put it this way to the people in my riding “It is sort of like someone stealing $100 from me, then coming back in a week or two to tell me he would give me back $20”. As if I were supposed to be grateful that he stole just $80. That is more or less what the government is saying to us “Come on now, I borrowed money from you without your permission, but you need to thank me because I am giving one-quarter of it back, or one-third, or some other amount”.
What we are asking is to have back, not the interest on the money borrowed without our permission, but the money itself.
In conclusion, to complement the motion by the Canadian Alliance member, section 6.5 of the Treasury Board manual, which I was not able to read earlier, provides, and I quote:
In accordance with the principles of the Access to Information Act, government information should be available to the public. Departments should develop cost-effective means—
I do not know what cost-effective means in this context.
—to ensure that review reports are accessible to the public without requiring a formal request under the Access to Information Act.
This is a request by Treasury Board to make public internal audit reports “without requiring a formal request under the Access to Information Act”.
The government is being asked to do as the President of the Treasury Board asks, apply the policies of this government and the wishes of this government.
As members will see, consistent as they are, the Liberals will not apply their policy, they will not support their request and will not apply the standards set by the Treasury Board. It is a bit of a paradox.