Jim Peterson

[Gasoline Pricing, March 30th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, we are all very pleased that OPEC has already announced increased production. It is obvious that taxes are a matter for the provinces and for the federal government, because there is more than one level of government, but only one taxpayer.

There has been co-operation between the federal and provincial governments in a number of areas, for example the infrastructure program, the child tax benefit, taxation of revenue rather than taxation of tax. That is what federal-provincial co-operation—

[Privilege, March 28th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, in light of the fact that the hon. member for Medicine Hat, the finance critic for the Reform Party if that is what I should call it, has not had an opportunity during a month of question periods since the budget to ask any questions about the budget, I would be happy to answer any questions on it that he might have at this time.

[Privilege, March 28th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order.

[Privilege, March 28th, 2000]

He did not do that. He is the best chairman I have ever seen.

[Privilege, March 28th, 2000]

Oh, come on.

[Canadian Institutes Of Health Research Act, March 28th, 2000]

moved that Bill C-13, an act to establish the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, to repeal the Medical Research Council Act and to make consequential amendments to other acts, be read the third time and passed.

[Supply, March 20th, 2000]

With pride.

[Supply, March 20th, 2000]

You are no spring chicken yourself.

[Supply, March 20th, 2000]

Careful.

[Supply, March 20th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, obviously the member was not listening when I talked about the share of public money provided by the federal government and the provincial governments for the delivery of health care services.

Let me start again. There is about $64 billion spent by the federal and provincial governments combined on delivering health care services in Canada. The transfers we make to the provinces, the CHST, are $31 billion. Traditionally 54% of that went to health care as opposed to post-secondary education and social welfare. That would be about $17 billion out of the $31 billion which is our contribution. Add to that the $3 billion we spend directly for health care to Canada's first peoples, to our military and to the RCMP and we are at $20 billion. Twenty billion dollars out of $64 billion is 31%. It is not 13% as the member said. If we add to that the close to $10 billion in equalization that we make to the provinces, which can be spent on health care, it is well over 60%. It is not 13% as the member said.