Mr. Speaker, I listened carefully to the member for Esquimalt-Juan de Fuca tell us a lot about federal expenditures. I must remind him that this has been going on for a long time and particularly since 1970, when the Liberal government of the time decided to centralize pretty well everything in Ottawa in an effort to boost the economy, so to speak. At that point in the 1970s, the government, by borrowing to create jobs and build up the economy, also caused the economy to overheat somewhat, which led to an appalling rate of inflation.
Do you remember the 1970s? Having created the inflation itself, the government was obliged to raise interest rates enough in the 1980s in order to reduce this appalling inflation, which had reached a rate of approximately 10 per cent per year. This means that the government created the inflation between 1970 and 1980. In 1980, it raised interest rates to reduce inflation and caused the recession. In 1984, the Conservatives continued to spend in the same way as the Liberals, who had set up certain projects to get through the recession between 1980 and 1984.
Between 1984 and 1990, the Conservative federal government continued to spend as the Liberals had between 1970 and 1980. They created more inflation, and, naturally, in 1990, they raised the interest rates and created another recession, which has lasted four or five years now.
It is easy enough to understand; this means that the federal government has caused all of Canada's problems. It is clear and precise. I will try to explain, in three minutes, that the real cause of the debt is the federal government itself which interfered in matters of no concern to it. It meddled in the economy, in all kinds of things.
I agree in principle with the Reform Party member who says that the federal government must stop some of its interference with the provinces if not most of it. And before him, the Reform Party member for Calgary-North said much the same. The government must disentangle itself and decentralize precisely to restore order in the country.
This is why I, for one, have taken the position that federalism has caused a tremendous amount of harm and has led Canada to bankruptcy and this is why I ask and we ask that Quebec become a sovereign nation in economic association with the rest of Canada, with Canada remaining as a type of committee or advisory board, a type of board responsible for managing areas the regions have in common. I would to hear the member's comments on this.