Mr. Speaker, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Seniors asked his question and was allowed to speak. I did not agree with the premise of his question, and I will explain why, but I would now like him to let me answer.
What I am criticizing is not the fact that Ottawa spent during the pandemic, but rather that it is bragging about being better than the provinces. It still has such an arrogant attitude towards the provinces. The reason the fiscal capacity and fiscal flexibility remain here is because the Liberals have slashed what matters, that is, health care funding.
It was a Liberal government that began this practice in the 1990s. This puts pressure on the system, and the current pandemic has revealed just how fragile that system has become. The pandemic should serve as an opportunity to fix the problem and better fund the health care system.