Mr. Speaker, first, I would like the minister to explain in plain and simple terms, so that it is easy to understand, for the benefit of both the members of this House and the people listening, the real reasons why such unanticipated surpluses exist, given that the minister began his speech by boasting about having always had a very transparent and balanced approach.
Second, will the minister recognize that these surpluses are due in large part to the fiscal imbalance and that they actually represent shortfalls for the provinces and for Quebec?
Third, with respect to the one-third that he intends to allocate to investments, at the time of making these new investments, does the minister plan to respect the jurisdictions of the provinces and Quebec?