Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m not sure if it’s short order or short-term, but really in the short term we’re guaranteed the 6 percent increase and then subsequent to that
it will be tied to the nominal GDP to a minimum of 3 percent. We will have to govern ourselves accordingly. It depends. I laid out some demographics, for example, about the doubling of our population over 60 by 2015 or so. We’re going to have to manage ourselves accordingly.
I would also point out that under the arrangements that have been proposed there were two jurisdictions that were positively impacted. One of them, in a fairly significant way, was Alberta to the tune of nearly a billion dollars. The other one, of course, was the Northwest Territories to a much more modest degree but to the amount of about $6 million. We’re paying very close attention to this.
As well, the Member referenced the Premiers. The Premiers and the Council of the Federation have put the Finance Ministers from the provinces and territories to work to look at the impact going forward of all the announcements that were made last December in Victoria. My final comment would be that at that meeting it was very clear that the federal government was announcing its intention. It was not asking for feedback. It was not asking for debate about what we thought about what was being proposed. It was almost by a type of fiat where it was very clear they have a majority government and a plan that they have decided to implement. That’s what this one is.