Madam Speaker, I would like to make my position very clear that I do not believe for a second that the people of Quebec, given the opportunity to vote in a referendum that is fairly put to the people, will vote in favour of separation. The member and I have a very substantial difference.
I want to put that on record because I would like to ask a question that would encompass both the possibility of her achieving her dream of Quebec separating and if not. In the issue of bringing education, hospital and the Canada assistance plan together under one roof and downloading as the Liberals are trying to do, at the same time removing $4.5 billion which means that if we are going to maintain the same level of service, which may or may not be necessary, the taxes would then have to go up at the provincial level.
If we can just set that aside, I would like to ask a question in terms of concept because she did raise the issue of national standards. If, as I have already stated, I reject categorically the concept of a separate Quebec but nonetheless if that should transpire, how would the people of Quebec be better off considering that there would be absolutely no national standards; in
other words there would be no joint jurisdiction between Quebec and Canada?
Second, if, as I believe is going to happen, Quebec people choose what is best for them and do stay in Canada, would Quebec and the provinces not be better off if they had the ability to raise the taxes? In other words, the federal government transfers the ability to tax the tax points to the provinces. If they were administering the programs, is that not really the fundamental problem that the BQ and the PQ are presently trying to do, to get more jurisdiction over the areas of health, welfare and post-secondary education?