Madam Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for his presentation here today. By and large as we are both members of the opposition, our job is to keep the government's feet to the fire.
I have travelled a fair amount in Quebec in recent days and I think that we have a particularly serious problem in our country. As the economy of Ontario or Quebec deteriorates it pulls everybody else down because they are so dominant in the country. Even with the most cursory glance we can see the dynamism that has existed in Toronto and we can compare that to Montreal which at one time was Canada's premier city, the premier city in North America.
When we go to Montreal today, it is with the feeling of unease when we see what has happened in Montreal over the last few years. An illustration of this is taken from the magazine L'Actualité in November 1995. In 1980 before the separatists really started to ruin the economy in Quebec and hurt the economy in the rest of the country, the residential vacancy rate in Montreal was 3.4 per cent. It is now 6.8 per cent. The business vacancy rate was 3.3 per cent and it is now 19.7 per cent. The public debt in Quebec in 1980 was 20.3 per cent of gross provincial product. Today it is 40.9 per cent.
To put this into context, the cost of servicing the debt that the country has is $47 billion, more than all of the social spending put together. Many Canadians define themselves by our social spending and perhaps even more so in the province of Quebec. Yet the ability to continue to spend on the very programs by which Canadians define themselves is threatened by the enormity of the debt and the cost of servicing the debt, which this year is $47 billion.
It is interesting to note that the former leader of the opposition on becoming the premier of Quebec has changed his spots once again. He has now put fiscal responsibility as the number one priority of Quebec rather than separation.
There are examples, evidence and proof that this incessant drive for the separation of Quebec is costing all of Canada, but by far it is costing Quebec and the citizens of Quebec far more than it is costing the rest of the country. It is very hurtful to the economy and to the people of Quebec. Would the member consider that perhaps this is an appropriate time to continue to work within the federation to evolve a new relationship for all provinces and particularly the province of Quebec but to do so within Confederation where we will all end up being winners rather than trying to make winners and losers?