Mr. Speaker, if this money is not for the Winnipeg Jets but only for an arena, the Prime Minister will surely not tell us that it is for the free skating sessions on Saturday nights.
The federal government has decided to provide a direct $20 million subsidy for building this arena, for the sole purpose of allowing the city to keep the Jets franchise. This announcement came right after the Quebec Nordiques turned down the Quebec government's proposal.
How does the minister explain the federal government's sudden eagerness to help the Winnipeg Jets, even taking money from outside the infrastructure budget, the day after the Nordiques' owners rejected the Quebec government's proposal, when Ottawa never expressed its intention to assist the Nordiques?