Madam Speaker, I have just witnessed au unimaginably inconsequential speech. This is an issue that is extremely important for the provinces. As for the members opposite, be it the Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister, or the Secretary of State for Financial Institutions, I do not know what they are doing over there.
I will have to ask the new Minister of Finance. He says “I am examining the situation. I will not be taking a position immediately. I am examining the situation to think about what I will do”. I appeal to him, to his heart and to his reason at the same time and I say to him “If you want to distinguish yourself, if you want to take into account a problem that is extremely important for the provinces, which are currently experiencing such great needs in health and education, then be serious and examine this quickly, but make the right decision”.
It is not to them that I address these remarks, it is to the Minister of Finance. My message to him is to act in the interests of the provinces to ensure that they are all treated equally. Is the Minister of Finance ready to take this into consideration and say that they will not require reimbursements from those who received overpayments and they will ensure that all of the provinces are on a level playing field? It is the minister I am addressing.