Mr. Speaker, I listened with great interest to the comments made not only by the hon. member but also by the critic who preceded him.
What struck me is the lack of sensitivity to individual Quebecers, whether they live in Montreal, in my riding of Mount Royal, in Trois-Rivières, Quebec City, Chicoutimi, Lac-Saint-Jean, or anywhere else in Quebec, because people who used to pay UI premiums now have a need and a right to receive some money to help them when they are jobless.
What stands out from all their arguments and remarks is that they want the power to make decisions with Canada's money. As usual, they forget to tell the truth. In fact, for every dollar invested in Quebec by an individual in the labour force, this individual receives $1.33 when unemployed. They want to deprive every unemployed person of this 33 cents, which over time adds up to millions and millions of dollars. What a great policy.
They then completely overlook the fact that this change addresses realities in Quebec. Like other Canadians, Quebecers must adapt their skills, attitudes and abilities to the new society. They have completely forgotten this, and they want to set aside a rather significant amount of money. We have injected over $4.2 billion into this program, but they have forgotten this and are unwilling to tell their constituents. I find this very interesting. You do not want to tell-