Mr. Speaker, I want to go back to the original point I was making. It was in relationship to the fact that the hon. member I think was skating and trying to redirect the debate.
In all good conscience I cannot allow individual members of parliament to get up in the House and tell Canadians that because of the federal government's action, and I quote, “would severely affect the provinces' ability to pay for health care, education and social services”.
The debate has been going on all day. I think the point we have made is that not only is that not the case but that in these particular areas the federal government has made unbelievable investments given the fiscal situation.
We must also look at the issue of the debt as it relates to both the provincial and the federal government. We must look at the ability of provinces to tax. I went through an example that actually said that the provincial revenues last year from a combination of liquor, gaming levies, property taxes and resource royalties were $27.4 billion compared to just $10 billion in 1990.
I also remind Canadians that the provinces have access to the same major tax bases as we do, including personal income tax, corporate income tax, sales tax and payroll taxes.
The reality is that the federal government and the provincial governments have access to a wide range of revenue sources and are free to set their own fiscal and budgetary priorities.
In my comments earlier on I made it very clear that we do not accept the premise of the motion because it does not really reflect the type of investments that we as a federal government have and the type of co-operative spirit that exists within the federal-provincial relations.
I am somewhat concerned about the tone of the debate simply because it fails to illustrate to Canadians the type of headway that we have been able to make working together with other governments and the people of Canada. To allow this debate to state that somehow the federal government is putting a great deal of pressure to the point that the provinces cannot deliver those services is just not credible.