Madam Speaker, first I would thank the hon. member for his compliment. I know he was sincere in that. I too have respect for him and the work we have done together.
Being inexperienced, it is difficult to express yourself in such a way that you do not offend. You lay out what you believe in. I think it is time we did that. We have to lay out here what we believe in.
I go back to Thomas D'Arcy McGee. I see in this life a generation of industrious, contented, moral men and women free in name, men and women capable of maintaining in peace and in war a Constitution worthy of such a country. That is the important thing.
What we have built for 127 years is important to preserve. We in Alberta may have differences of opinion with the federal government, as we do. You have a difference with the federal government in Quebec, as you do. We should fight together to make the sum total stronger than any one of the individual parts. That is the message we are trying to share.
All the examples that the hon. member gave us about what did not work and the reports and commissions that did not work were all examples of a top down approach to democracy, a top down approach of trying to deliver goods and services to what the people want. We in the Reform Party, as do the members of the Bloc Quebecois, recognize that it does not work.
Why not pool our resources in opposition, fight for Quebec and fight for our areas we represent against the government to show that a bottom up approach-