Mr. Speaker, I listened carefully to the statement by my colleague from the Reform Party. I particularly noticed a remark which I found rather biased and uncomplimentary, I would say, towards Quebec, namely that Quebec received 45 per cent of equalization and suggesting that Quebec was the spoiled child of Canadian Confederation. If he did not understand, probably there are problems with the simultaneous translation. Maybe he did not get my message just now, which was that equalization is meant to raise the revenue of provinces and that Quebec is a have not province. If Quebec is less well off, they should ask by looking at it objectively, since they seem to be objective once in a while when their ridings or home provinces are concerned what
Quebec has had in terms of research and development, federal purchases of goods and services, transportation and agriculture in the past 30 years. Do not tell me that when it comes to agriculture, the three prairie provinces, with payments of about $1.5 billion a year since 1986, in addition to regular programs, are not favoured provinces in the Canadian Confederation.
Before throwing figures around left and right, I would ask for a real debate in this House on the federal government's contribution to Quebec, if they want such a debate, and I will be pleased to answer all their pernicious arguments.