Mr. Speaker, obviously there are difficult legal and constitutional issues around this. We all recognize that.
However, when one controls a majority government in the federal Parliament it is amazing what one can do. The member suggests this could be trampling on provincial rights and asks how this could possibly be done. I find this a strange question coming from a member of a government that has successively and successfully intervened in jurisdiction after jurisdiction of provincial authority. It has used its spending power, taxing power or whatever it happens to be at the moment.
Far be it for me to suggest which mechanism would be most appropriate. We do not want to conduct the government in an arbitrary manner the way it has been done. However, to suggest the federal government could not do something about it is quite erroneous.
I congratulate the hon. member for suggesting and for saying explicitly that while he may not agree with this motion he at least recognizes this contract is an injustice and I would presume the situation behind it that brought it about is an injustice. His colleagues have not been prepared to say that today. I have listened to Liberal after Liberal either avoid that issue or state that there is absolutely nothing wrong with this situation, including members from Atlantic Canada. It is good that somebody on that side recognizes this is not proper.