Mr. Speaker, through you, I thank the hon. member for his nice comments. Earlier I quoted unemployment figures from 1989 to 1993. As far as I know, there was no sovereigntist government in Quebec at that time.
I would like to talk about a study done by Professor William J. Coffey and Mario Polèse-it could be tabled if someone asks for a copy; this document is available at the Library by the way-on the city of Montreal; it is called Le déclin de l'empire montréalais: regard sur l'économie d'une métropole en mutation . The authors are not sovereigntists. Their analysis shows that Montreal's decline is mainly due to what they call the loss of the hinterland. The market gradually moved to Toronto. Our industries got older. The Lachine canal region, which was a cradle of industrial development in Canada, is sinking into obsolescence; major investments are needed to revitalize it.
I was involved in creating an association to promote economic development in Montreal. In the end, we must take ourselves in hand at the local level and this, in turn, will lead us to do the same at the national level. I am a Montrealer and a "Montrealist" and, in that sense, we cannot propose to use the means at our disposal while leaving important tools in the hands of the federal government, which does a very poor job of managing them.
During question period this afternoon, the minister, in a flight of partisan oratory, talked about the RRAP. The RRAP was supposed to be a social housing program. The first part of the program is aimed at homeowners and the second part, at handicapped people. The part of the program designed for handicapped people can be compared to social housing, obviously.
We know that Montreal has a problem, mostly because of single parent families and the large number of new residents, who often live in apartments. Toronto probably has the same problem to some extent. But these people are not eligible under that program.
This government, which was a great advocate of social housing when in opposition, throws us a few peanuts and tells us
it is providing social housing; it is outrageous. When the minister adds that we should applaud the Minister of Finance, who is responsible for Montreal's economic development, that is the last straw.
So this study, that will be made available to you-again, it is called Déclin de l'empire montréalais -identifies the Quebec political option as a minor factor. It is a minor political factor at this stage. I would guess that William J. Coffey is not a sovereigntist.
It is important for Quebec's main city to give itself tools and to recognize that these tools must belong to the Quebec government. The federal government did not fulfil its mandate and I myself have lost hope.
In 1988, I was among those who supported the Conservatives for the nice worth-