Mr. Speaker, the government members are always right, but they are usually the only ones who think the way they do.
Allow me to read from a news release from the provincial first ministers from January 23, 2003.
First Ministers agree to the immediate restoration of the federal CHST funding to at least 18% of total health and social expenditures this fiscal year.
If funding must be restored to 18%, then it cannot already be at 18%. I submit that the current level is 14 or 15%.
I will continue reading:
First Ministers agree that this amount is approximately $5.4 billion—
What was announced yesterday was an additional $2.5 billion for the CHST.
In closing, I would like to read just this short passage from the news release:
First Ministers agree to escalate this federal contribution by 1% per year of the CHST equivalent to achieve a 25% financial partnership by the end of the decade as recommended by a number of eminent Canadians.
It may be that we are wrong and they are right, but they are the only ones who think so. In Canada, most people, like us, believe that the provinces are short on money for health, and that the federal government has not met the demands of the public.