Madam Speaker, I would first thank my colleague from the Canadian Alliance for agreeing to this amendment and for being open to discussion this morning. I will remain objective in my response to my colleague of the Liberal Party, as I have since the start of this debate.
First, I would correct his figure of 40% for health. It is very inflated. Second, even taking into account the tax points given up in the 1960s, the figure is around 20%. However, if these tax points are taken away, the figure drops to 13%.
It would be a good idea to take them away. If they gave up a taxation area in the 1960s, they gave it up. After 30 years, a person cannot claim right of ownership of a house that has been given up.
This area of taxation was given to the provinces and to the government of Quebec in the 1960s and to other provinces in 1977. It does not even appear any longer in the columns of Liberal government figures. This then is proof that the funds are not allocated. There is no spending, but it was transferred, sold, given away in the 1960s. This is just a little point I wanted to make.
As regards the holding of a referendum, we are still pondering the issue, both in Quebec City and within our party. However, a referendum has two virtues, even when there is consensus on the question.
First, it makes the federal government realize that this consensus is real consensus. The hon. member knows—because he witnessed it when he was in the opposition, before joining the Liberals—that even when we have had very strong consensuses in Quebec, they were ignored. This government would not accept them, it would just ignore them.
That was the case with the Young Offenders Act, on which there was consensus, and even unanimity in Quebec. Still, this government just would not listen. Having the public express itself clearly on an issue such as tax points is an additional argument. Therefore, we must consider this option.
The second virtue of a referendum is that it informs the public. We may talk about tax points, but the fact is that there is a fiscal imbalance. It is even reflected in the last fiscal year, with this $10 billion surplus, even though the government said there would be no surplus. These surpluses will grow, they will not shrink.
There has been a certain slowdown in the economy in recent months and, despite this slowdown and the new security measures, such as those announced in the last budget in December, there is a surplus. In the years to come, the surplus will increase almost exponentially.
This situation must be explained. The misinformation dished out by the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, who says just about anything that comes into his head on this issue, who tries to publish a document so ridiculous that it does not stand up to even an hour of superficial analysis, must be countered. He comes out with complete nonsense, such as that we heard yesterday, when he said that a referendum on a federal issue was illegal in any event, or some such drivel. I no longer really listen to him.
Nonetheless, the public must be given accurate information. This is a serious situation. On behalf of the public, I only hope that the new Minister of Finance is more receptive than the previous one, that the new Minister of Finance analyses the situation properly, unlike the previous incumbent.
I hope for this receptiveness on behalf of Quebecers and Canadians, who hope to have the best services possible, particularly in the health and education sectors.