Madam Speaker, I listened with interest to my colleague's conversation. Being from Cape Breton is the closest one can get to being a Newfoundlander, so we think alike in many ways.
He mentioned that he is not an accountant, but I would like him to check some figures in relation to the equalization payments and CHST transfers he talks about and how much the increase has been. He will find out that in Newfoundland we are getting fewer dollars today, if we combine all of them, compared to what we got in 1999. The real value of the dollar creates an even greater discrepancy. Newfoundland is the only province getting fewer dollars, simply because of its declining population. However, that creates two problems, fewer dollars and an aging population, with a lot of the out-migration being younger people. This means it costs more to service what we have, but we are getting less to do it. Federal health transfers should be based on need, not on population.
On top of that, we have the clawback arrangement on our resources, the same as Nova Scotia. I am sure the member is a strong supporter of the drive by his premier, Premier Hamm, to get a fair deal in relation to clawbacks on resource funding.
I would just ask the member to comment on that and tell us how he is going to support the drive by Newfoundland and Nova Scotia to get a fair deal on our resource funding.