Mr. Speaker, I listened carefully to what my hon. colleague had to say, but we are faced with quite a problem. On one hand, we have all the premiers, including the Premier of Quebec, the opposition parties and the provinces asking themselves in an ad campaign: what is Ottawa's contribution to health care? Is it 50%, 33%, 25% or 16%? The answer is 16%.
They also tell us that, despite a recent increase, the federal contribution stands at 16%, while it was initially at 50%, which means that the provinces and the territories must pay 84% of the costs.
Our constituents have to deal with two different versions of reality. On one hand, the premiers and the opposition parties all agree that the federal government is not doing its part to fund health care in Canada. This is warranted criticism since the Prime Minister of Canada did say that he would make health care his top priority. But increasing health care spending was not the first thing he did.
Why is it that the federal government has dropped from 50% to 16% of the funding? For the current government, that is enough, so much so that it is said negotiations will take place next summer. By then we will have had a budget and possibly an election, and they can start negotiations next year, although this year there will be a surplus of about $8 billion.
Would it not be much more reasonable to agree with the Bloc's position and say that half of this surplus should go to health care? In that way we could stop the downward spiral of underfunding.
I will ask my question and I hope that the hon. member will not reply that federal government funding is about 40%. When she says that, she is neglecting to say that she is including in the system the transfer programs, the whole business of equalization, and the transfer of tax points. These are entirely different categories of expenditures. When an income tax point transfer is made, it is because of a particular, real situation. Nevertheless, since 1993, when the current Prime Minister became finance minister, there has been a draconian shrinkage in the federal government's funding for health care.
Would the hon. member not admit that it would be high time, in the next budget, to have a commitment on the table from the federal government to invest 50% of the surplus this year, and to renew this commitment in coming years? Would that not be the duty of the current government, rather than continuing the fiscal strangulation we are now suffering? Could we not take this to mean that if it continues in the same way, it is simply to try to take control over this area that is within provincial jurisdiction?
The provinces are doing their best. Could the federal government not make an effort, exceed the $2 billion that was committed by Mr. Chrétien and then announced again? What is needed is new money to enable the provinces to satisfy their needs. Is it not the premiers who are telling the truth in their ad? Is it not them that the Bloc Quebecois is supporting today to ensure that adequate funding for health care will be coming from the federal government?