Mr. Speaker, I listened with great interest to the hon. member for Ottawa Centre. He has strayed far from the motion. It is a finely worded motion which puts forward a critical issue: Why are our social, educational and health care programs in jeopardy?
The hon. member has failed to acknowledge in any way the critical situation facing Canada today. He can crow all he wants about the great Liberal government but it has lost the moral high ground in the debate. It has lost its vision about what is taking place.
Let us look at the evidence of the Romanow commission. Why do we have a royal commission on health care? It is because our health care system is in crisis due in large part to a lack of federal funding.
Why do we have a 30 year low in federal financing for educational programs? Why do we have the widest gap between rich and poor in Canada that we have seen for 30 years? It is because of these fiscal arrangements. I am disappointed the hon. member has not acknowledged this in any way.
Would the hon. member look at the evidence and discuss the situation as it relates to health care? A royal commission is studying the question. Surely he must acknowledge that one of the reasons we are in crisis is the federal government's massive devolution and retreat from public funding of health care. We have gone down from 50 cent dollars to 14 cent dollars.
The hon. member should take an honest hard look at what is going on in many communities. People are hurting as a result of the imbalance.