Foundations  Mr. Speaker, the hon. member has a rather impoverished understanding of what is within the purview of Parliament. Everything is within the purview of Parliament. If Parliament wishes to review the books of foundation X or foundation Y, it can be done, with or without the Auditor General.

Taxation  Mr. Speaker, in the last fiscal year for which figures are available, 2003, the Government of Canada generated revenues of $177 billion and the provinces received $166 billion including tax points. Once the transfers are done, the provinces have just over $200 billion and the federal government is down to $140-odd billion.

Equalization Payments  Mr. Speaker, as the member knows, the equalization issue was dealt with in the last budget. Many of the issues that were raised by a variety of provinces over the course of that five year term were addressed in the budget, the most significant of which was the smoothing provisions where finance ministers had different expectations over the course of a year.

Equalization Payments  Mr. Speaker, in fact, if the hon. gentleman would read the budget, he would realize that quite a number of the issues that have been put forward by the provinces were addressed in the budget, including an enhancement of the actual moneys available to the various equalization receiving provinces.

Bill C-260  Mr. Speaker, it is my happy task to thank a number of colleagues and supporters for their assistance on Bill C-260, an act to amend the Hazardous Products Act (fire-safe cigarettes). As we know, to take a bill from first reading through to royal assent requires a lot of hard work, patience and cooperation.

Budget Implementation Act, 2004  Madam Speaker, I want to confirm that this is a debate on Bill C-30, the budget implementation bill. I did not hear anything about the budget in the last speech. Every once in a while the hon. member should actually read the budget. It would probably be of some assistance to him.

Finance  Mr. Speaker, the hon. member raises a good question with respect to microcredit. It is something that the government has supported in a variety of initiatives and ways, both nationally and internationally. It is an excellent way in which to get money to less than credit worthy customers.

Government Contracts  Mr. Speaker, what is true about that question is that the paper will be purchased from a foreign source because after a proper tendering process, the proper paper which would be adequate for fraud purposes, et cetera, was not available in this country. However, the other part of that question is that all of the printing of the money will be done here in Canada.

Government Contracts  Mr. Speaker, I think the hon. member would agree with me that in any tendering process, in any procurement process, Canada should look for the best possible product at the best possible price. That is exactly what happened here. In this instance, that product will be received. When it comes to printing the money, the money will actually be printed here.

Sponsorship Program  Mr. Speaker, the member opposite knows very well all of the processes that are in place with respect to this issue. It is a very strange process involved where the opposition appears to wish to summarily dispense of an individual and his job without due process ever being exercised.

World Health Day  Mr. Speaker, on April 7 we will be celebrating World Health Day, which marks the establishment of the World Health Organization. The WHO established this important day to provide a forum for discussion regarding various health challenges worldwide. This year the focus is on road safety.

Budget Implementation Act, 2004  Mr. Speaker, I would like to bring this debate back to some level of reality. It was interesting to have a Conservative member make a speech about a budget and not mention once that we are in the final year of a $100 billion tax relief package. That may have been what his party would have liked to have done had the people of Canada been so unwise to elect it as a government.

Budget Implementation Act, 2004  Mr. Speaker, frankly, I did not realize that this might be your last day in the chair. I as well would like to extend to you my thanks. I appreciate that it is sometimes a pretty difficult job to try to keep this place under control. I know that the hon. gentleman appreciates the work of Roy Romanow.

Budget Implementation Act, 2004  Mr. Speaker, I have been sitting here pretty well all day listening to the debate. There is a fairly consistent theme that comes from the Bloc Québécois that somehow or other Quebec in particular is unfairly treated by the Government of Canada. The Bloc members talk about the fiscal imbalance and other things such as that.

Budget Implementation Act  Mr. Speaker, I too want to add my words of best wishes to the hon. member. I know him through the weekly prayer breakfast and the national prayer breakfast. I have appreciated his contributions to both of those entities. As members know, the work in this place is pretty stressful and, contrary to opinions, largely held by many members of the public, this is not an easy job, and it is a particularly difficult job for those members who come from out west.