Madam Speaker, my recollection of the various platforms is that the government had numbers that were fully costed and which reflected viability within the growth of the federal government's revenues within the growth of the economy as such. All governments regardless of their political stripe are necessarily constrained by the growth or indeed the absence of growth of government.
Point number one is that the hon. member will note that the escalator in the agreement is 6%. Six per cent is way beyond the number for either nominal GDP or indeed real GDP going forward. We have not had a 6% year in I do not know how long; I would be speculating to name the year.
The second point has to do with the fact that this is an agreement. An agreement among governments would certainly supersede any election platform, whether it is the hon. member's platform or whether it is ours.
This was a negotiated agreement among the first ministers. This bill reflects that particular agreement.
I think that in some large measure the hon. member's question is irrelevant.