Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question.
We do not share the same definition of the word “national”. When I say “nation”, I mean Quebec. If I mention Canada-wide standards, that means all of Canada.
If my colleague wants to influence the scope of social benefits and health care in her own province, I just want to tell her that she is in the wrong Parliament. She should instead try to influence the politicians in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.
I would point out to her that we pay the QST and the GST in Quebec. We pay a lot of taxes in Quebec, because we have decided to redistribute the money collectively and equitably in order to provide social benefits to everyone.
Ottawa's Parliament is not the place to hold debates on health care and social services; they must happen in the parliamentary assembly of each province. I therefore urge her to use her fighting spirit to influence the politicians in Alberta.