Mr. Speaker, this issue is bigger than the minister and I. This is about priorities.
The government announced $5.5 billion in new spending, $1.1 billion in new grants for departments such as Canadian Heritage and Human Resources Development, $10 million more for the failed firearms registry, and $28 million for Communication Canada, the father of the scandals that have occurred involving sponsorships.
Would the minister explain why funding these boondoggles is a higher priority for the government than providing health care funding for Canadians?