First, I would hope you'd acknowledge that it is a complex matter to deal with these formulas, particularly when we're dealing with the 2006 census. Some of the formulas in your original bill were looking at the 2011 census, which won't show until February 2012. And then we have this new item that you've brought in from the transfer payment. So it's very complex, and I'm hoping the government is going to be agreeable to giving us enough time to bring in the experts to get to the bottom of it, so that we can satisfy ourselves that this is indeed an improvement.
Second, I hear where the Liberals are coming from. But unless we're going to change to an American system where you accept from the get-go that some are going to go up and some are going to go down.... As a former Ontario cabinet minister, I want my province to get as many seats as they're entitled to, and this only gets us closer. Ontario still doesn't have all the seats it should have, and we feel the same way about all the other provinces. So I hear what the Liberals are saying, but it sounds more like a nice, safe pre-parking spot as opposed to getting into the cut and thrust of some of this. It's complicated and it's difficult. But I'll leave that for the cut and thrust.
Third, I want to get down to the issue of Quebec. In respect of the motion of November 27, 2006, wherein the House, close to unanimously, recognized that the Québécois form a nation within a united Canada, we've taken a position meant to give assurances that Canada is not interested in assimilating the culture of the Québécois and seeing it disappear. On the contrary, we want it to be strong within Canada, recognizing that the Québécois know that being strong in Canada means they're strong in North America.
So why didn't you take that extra step--it was your government that brought in that motion--and confirm for the Québécois that their place in Canada is assured? Why would your government not take that stand and show that respect and build in that protection?