Mr. Speaker, not only have I not made the statement the member alludes to but I would say to him that he has made a startling allegation and it is incumbent upon him to provide facts, dates, numbers and names. We will be happy to look at them.
Let me say also that a key component of an economic development strategy has to be one that recognizes the differences that exist among and between the regions of this country. We have a very large country with quite a varied economy.
The role played by the federal government in understanding the differences among regions, in meeting the needs and requirements of sectors as diverse as those in natural resources as well as those in the manufacturing and new advanced technology sectors is one which requires a great deal of co-ordination across government. That is what we are endeavouring to do.