Mr. Speaker, in February, the Prime Minister committed to providing Quebec and the provinces with $2 billion for health. But the government has been trying to renege on its commitment ever since, using the SARS and mad cow crises, the power blackout and even the forest fires in British Columbia as an excuse.
Should the surplus not be as expected, will the Minister of Finance commit to using the contingency reserve—after all a contingency reserve is for contingencies—to ensure that the $2 billion for health is actually provided to Quebec and the provinces as promised, instead of focusing exclusively on the debt?