Mr. Speaker, I would say to the member for Trois-Riviéres that I have enjoyed working with him in the last three months in the industry committee where on behalf of all the small businessmen and women of this country, every region of Canada, we have worked hard as a team trying to access capital for small and medium size business.
I believe it was an example where the member for Trois-Riviéres was not just thinking of the people in his riding or his province, but working on behalf of all Canadian small businessmen and women.
When I stand in the House today and say that I am totally opposed to separating this country and destroying this country, it is absolutely nothing personal. My difference of opinion is nothing personal with the member.
I believe this debate today is about spending power: Who has the spending power and who speaks for Canada in Quebec.
I have always believed that the best way to serve the disadvantaged regions was by having a strong national government so that from time to time when regions which were creating more wealth than others needed that wealth to be shared, this Chamber would say through budget and public policy: "Listen, B.C., Alberta and Ontario, you are doing better right now so we must share that with either Atlantic Canada or share it with Quebec". That has been the history and that has been the practice.
Whenever we worked as a unit in the House of Commons with a strong national government, especially under Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, the people of Quebec prospered.
Does the member for Trois-Riviéres not believe that the decentralized Government of Canada instrument FORD-Q working on the ground in Quebec is the best hope for looking after some of those very special needs that the member cited in his speech today?