Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question. Right now, there is no strength in the federation because the taxation system benefits the federal government. Instead of giving the provinces the tax resources they need through the transfer of tax points or otherwise, and instead of giving them the opportunity to carry out their responsibilities properly, it cuts left and right and intrudes everywhere.
The federal health act exists to protect universality. The government has to stop treating the provinces like big municipalities. This government treats the provinces and their premiers like children. It wants to see the provinces beg.
In my opinion, forcing the provinces to beg is not the best way to build a strong federation. The provinces do not have the budgets to carry out their responsibilities. The federal government grabs all the money and then haggles with the provinces on education, health services and the infrastructure programs. The federal government wants to do everything for the provinces and its spending power is out of control.
I believe that the only way to find a solution would be to hold negotiations according to the respective mandates of the provincial and federal governments. But I will not hold my breath. This has been going on for 30 years.
We all know what former Prime Minister Trudeau used to do with government members from Quebec. For 16 years, he won the elections by thumbing his nose at Quebecers. He was always speaking from both sides of his mouth. I think that the future of the Canadian federation should not be based on provocation or on the fact that the federal government sees itself as the father of all provinces, that it sees them as big municipalities. It is contemptuous.
I would not bet on the future of the Canadian federation if we go on with a government like this one, which does not respect provincial jurisdictions and forces the provinces to come begging to the Prime Minister of Canada.