Mr. Speaker, the provincial finance ministers are meeting in Ottawa today.
At least two of the provinces will be forced to run budget deficits unless the government honours a commitment to provide an additional $2 billion for health care. The federal finance minister has suggested that money could be freed up if the political will exists. He has to answer his own question.
The real question is, will any monetary commitment made by the outgoing Prime Minister be honoured by the incoming prime minister? This is provincial purgatory. Does the commitment exist or not?