Mr. Speaker, I acknowledge this was the member's maiden speech. I congratulate him at least on the form, if not the content.
I want to ask the member a few questions.
First, would he not acknowledge that the subject matter of the debate is not the reference to separatism? I acknowledge that the Conservative Party and government may be looking at desperate times and maybe this is the time for desperate measures on their part, but the subject matter we are looking at is the economy and Canadians, and the member has addressed that.
However, will he not acknowledge that the economic statement last week did not, in and of itself, address that, and that any big, major economic plan to address the financial tsunami now approaching Canadians is off in the future, in 2009 some time without any commitments from the government?
Will he not also acknowledged that this place is about Parliament and Parliament will decide who governs?