Mr. Speaker, I listened to the remarks of the hon. member for Toronto—Danforth who indicated, first, that the NDP would support the motion. I listened to his rationale and I did not get anything in it that gave any reasons why the motion would be supported. It is my understanding that the motion calls for a transfer of moneys from the federal government to the provincial government. Each level of government would have its own responsibilities and would have the capacity to tax basically on the same levels.
To give an example, the federal government over the last five years reduced taxes by approximately $100 billion. Every provincial government could have filled the vacuum if they had wanted to so. In the province that my learned friend comes from, Ontario, what did it do? It lowered taxes. How would the pass of this motion five years ago have any effect? My learned friend does raise a very good point. There is a fiscal imbalance in Canada between the provincial and the federal governments on the one hand and the municipalities on the other. That goes back to our history. Municipalities do not have the taxing power to fulfill the needs that they are required to do.
If we pass the motion, if money were given to the provinces, how would it help homelessness, or students, or the environment or child care? I listened, but I do not understand the rationale behind the member's argument.