Mr. Speaker, I thank our colleague for his speech. He addressed some crucial elements, which I am obviously glad that he raised.
We should try to keep things straight however. No member from the Bloc Quebecois believes that the Government of Quebec should not be accountable to the people.
The member began by saying that our motion was a vote-getting ploy. Need I remind him that we have been fighting on this issue every since the former financer minister tabled his first budget. As he knows, ill-advised and deep cuts were made in health care. So, our motion has nothing to do with any political agenda, but everything to do with our ideology. We believe that the provinces should be better equipped to provide the best services possible to the public.
If the hon. member thinks we are looking for electoral gain, then he must also think that Jean Charest is looking for electoral gain, that Mario Dumont is looking for electoral gain and that the ten premiers who joined forces in Halifax and asked the Prime Minister to raise the federal contribution to 18% must also be looking for electoral gain.
I am sure that is not what he meant to say. I urge him to take a critical look at this issue, to respect provincial jurisdictions and to voice his concerns at caucus so that the federal government gives the provinces the money they need unconditionally, while of course remaining totally accountable to the people of Quebec.