That's an interesting question.
I guess Energy East was a kind of tag line at the end. I just wanted to make the point of how important that is. Energy East is something that the provinces do want to do. I think they'll do it in partnership with the federal government review, which is going on now before the National Energy Board.
My point was really that just providing additional transfers to Atlantic Canada is not helping Atlantic Canada over the long term. You might think you're helping in the short term, but if the policies are not geared to local growth, people are going to leave.
Look at Saskatchewan. Saskatchewan had a problem 15 years ago. People were leaving to Alberta to find work. The province hadn't grown since the dirty thirties and the economy was flatlined. Under the NDP, no less, they fixed their balance sheet, they reformed the tax code to take advantage of resources, and they continue to do that under the Saskatchewan Party. That's the kind of thinking we need in Atlantic Canada so that we can take advantage of our opportunities.
It's not necessarily a question of teaching Atlantic Canadians anything. I think Atlantic Canadians need to be liberated to take advantage of their economy. Too often provinces are focused on maximizing revenues from Ottawa and not looking at what they can do in their own backyard to generate growth, economic opportunity, and jobs.