Mr. Speaker, in reply, I will say that the elimination of waste was part of our platform too. Where we differ is in the sources of such waste, as was demonstrated by the way Quebecers voted. A federalist party is of course bent on trying to improve the system to make it better.
In Quebec, we have reached the conclusion that the solution was no longer to improve the system but rather to significantly alter it. In Quebec, we have lived the overlapping problem in a very different manner, because of our specific characteristics. This aspect was never dealt with in a realistic or concrete manner in this House, leaving the problem unsolved. We believe that it is because there has never been in this House members whose sole interests were those of Quebec; often, people were held back by their federalist vision, and their commitment to federalist principles.
As far as the helicopters are concerned, as we said all along during the election campaign, we were ready to cancel the contract, but, contrary to the Liberals, we wanted to avoid the loss of research and development funding, and the elimination of the high tech jobs it was providing. What was needed then was new projects to utilise this highly skilled labour force. During the weeks immediately following the election, we suggested a high speed train project. In my view, to have highly skilled and well trained people on unemployment insurance is not a sound investment for the long term. We have to put them back to work as soon as possible.
I might add that the infrastructure program, for example, will meet certain needs in that area and create jobs for a certain kind of workers. But for those to whom that really matters, who make good wages and who put money back into the economy and into the area where they live, the vision of members on this side is more forward looking than that of the government, regarding the proposed course of action.