Mr. Speaker, I was listening very intently to the debate on this excellent report. Being on House duty I was listening in the lobby with great interest. I was very impressed with the quality of the speeches and decided to come into the House and hear them firsthand.
I must say I felt a certain amount of disappointment when I arrived because all of a sudden the presentations stopped being about this excellent report. I am sitting here in my seat and I cannot really believe what I am hearing. A responsible member of Parliament is getting up and complaining about a system that supports Atlantic Canada and he states that the people from his area would not support it.
I have a comment and a question. I am very seldom partisan but I have to say I find it very difficult to understand how the hon. member intends to go to Newfoundland after that speech to campaign on his support for ACOA and for regional development in Newfoundland. I suggest he frame this speech and turn around in reverse and never show it to anybody when he goes down looking for votes in Newfoundland.
He is suggesting that ACOA is made up of a group of imbeciles that just willy-nilly give out money to some businesses and not to others. He is totally wrong. I am telling him that the vice-president of ACOA, Gordon Slade, happens to be one of the finest civil servants in the country. He is a very responsible person. He is very selective in what he does. When there is competition the ACOA grant is not given.
My comment to the individual is that ACOA management does not work that way. It is much more responsible, much more selective.
My question to him is: What is his alternative? What would he rather do?