Mr. Chair, I dare say that job losses in the challenged sectors of the economy, manufacturing, the auto sector and forestry, cover most regions of this country. Most Canadians would think it fair that the allocation of the community trust be on a per capita basis.
This is something that a number of the provinces argued for very strenuously with respect to transfers before we accomplished the fiscal balance that we did in 2007 by moving to those per capita transfers. Some of the smaller provinces, particularly with respect to post-secondary education, are concerned that this per capita transfer perhaps disadvantages them. I am sure that the hon. member will want to reflect on that.
Having said that, the support for manufacturing is very strong: $9 billion in tax relief by 2012-13; $1.3 billion in additional funding beginning this fiscal year to the provinces for post-secondary education and labour market training to create a more highly skilled workforce; more than $1.5 billion over three years to support Canada's leadership in science and technology; action to streamline the regulatory system; a 20%, at least, reduction in that paper burden by November of this year; and $33 billion for infrastructure with P3s to be levered to fund infrastructure from the federal level at the highest level since the second world war.