Madam Speaker, the issue is Quebec's support for western grain transportation subsidies. We must realize that agricultural organizations in Quebec never opposed the measure, as you said, and, on the contrary, supported it for years.
It is far from certain that the federal government has the means to continue subsidizing this area to the same extent. To me, one thing is clear: when the federal government implemented measures concerning energy, western Canada reacted very strongly and demanded changes which eventually were made. In my opinion, it is very clear that Canadian regions, with each totally different economies, now must work things out among themselves and stop waiting for the federal government to do it.
The longer we waited for the federal government, the more and more centralized the decisions became, even though the economies of each of the regions have grown increasingly differentiated. The economic space in which we sell our products is becoming more and more differentiated. Therefore, each region needs its own strategy, and that is what the rest of Canada urgently needs to understand. Do not expect the federal government to do it.
The mandarins in Ottawa, who like to delude themselves that they know the truth, will continue to set the game plan and will continue to think that they know what is best for Canada. It is time for the regions to wake up: they need to create their own transportation policies. They should no longer wait for the federal Minister of Transportation to do it. In any case, this is Quebec's firm belief, and I think that, after analyzing the situation, each region will also see the urgent need to take their affairs in hand.
I think that the vote planned on the sovereignty of Quebec this year, which I predict will be for sovereignty, presents a golden opportunity to reorganize economic relations. For example, a few years ago, Canada's economy exported 20 per cent of its output to the United States. Now, we have far surpassed 30 per cent and are even nearing 40 per cent. Therefore, a reorganization is urgently needed, but the federal government will not initiate it. Regions will have to take their affairs into their own hands.