Mr. Speaker, I believe it is a minister who just spoke, and I hope all ministers in this government are not the same. However, I would like to say that I am glad it is this minister who spoke this morning because he represents the kind of federalism Quebecers reject. This minister was there at the time of Prime Minister Trudeau. This minister was there when Quebec suffered all those rejections.
I will try to lower my voice, Mr. Speaker, because it irritates my friends across the way to hear the truth. The first thing I wish to say, and I noted two or three points, of which the minister should also take note, because you must not forget that this morning Quebecers are watching you, Mr. Minister, and they now see what the Canada you represent is really like.
A little while ago, you said that the figures on manpower training were not right, etc. I would like to remind the minister that it is Mr. Bourbeau, a federalist in the Quebec Liberal Party, who mentioned the figure of $250 million. Am I to understand that the Liberal minister in Ottawa is calling a federalist minister in Quebec a liar? Is that what I must understand?
The other point I would like to underline is that this minister was there during the Trudeau years. I would like to give him an example of duplication between Quebec and Canada. In my riding, the province built a $23-million fish plant when there was fish-you will recall that before 1984 Quebec shared in the administration of fishing permits. Do you know what the federalists in those days, who are still across from us, did? They built a $16-million plant right beside the one built by Quebec. That is what they did. That is their kind of regional development. They come and undermine Quebec initiatives.
I have a few more questions. I have devastating figures about my riding which I would like to quote for the benefit of the minister of employment and immigration, even if he does not like to hear them. In my riding of Gaspé, the unemployment rate is 27 per cent. The labour force participation rate stands at 42 per cent. That means only four people out of ten are either working or looking for a job. What happened with the other six? The federalists discouraged them. What does this Liberal government have to offer? The recent budget froze the funding for help centres. We cannot get any money to promote the innovative suggestions of people in Gaspé and the whole province of Quebec. The minister is considering reforms, and, meanwhile, he cuts the funding. It does not make sense.
What about the Employment Development Program? I remind you that my region, with a 27 per cent unemployment rate and a 42 per cent participation rate, should be considered a disaster area, and should get enhanced EDP funding to put people back to work. Well, this funding has been cut, and is now reduced to 20 per cent of what it was before. The Federal Office of Regional Development has been subjected to a 25 per cent cut by the Martin budget, by the colleague of the minister who just spoke. Where are we going? What kind of logic is this? They wonder why we move a motion on regional development during an opposition day. They are slashing whatever help was left and they would like us to believe in federalism. I am sorry, but if the minister keeps talking the way he does, things will only be easier for us, come the referendum campaign.