So, Mr. Speaker, I cannot even do directly what I cannot do indirectly; this is complicated. As for integration, I will quote something that was written recently. There are two types of integration to provide for in a political entity if we want to guarantee its stability and coherence: economy and politics.
Economic integration implies that all aspects of the economic activity can be pursued within the entity, without tariff constraints or other trade barriers, and that there is considerable economic interaction within the whole area.
So, when we talk about the economic entity that we must have to stand up politically, here it is: relations with fishermen, those who operate in the area, who manage the area and, most of all, who make a living from the area since they are the ones most directly concerned. That is the first aspect, economic integration. Through you, Mr. Speaker, I say to the hon. member for Vancouver Quadra he does not want to consider this.
One must also consider political integration, which means that the people in the political entity share many values and beliefs and identify with the political institutions, laws and government policies through which these values are expressed. The people living off fishery resources are told not to get involved in this, that it is none of their business. In fact, they are told to go back to their boats and fish as much as they want. They should not be concerned about whether or not there are any fish left, about whether or not our oceans are being restocked. The water and the sea belong to us, but you must still register your boats.
Can you understand that these people are dependent on your policies? They will have to live with your policies. For some, it will be a tragedy. I am convinced that the exhaustion of underwater fishery resources will probably lead to tragedy, but they should at least have an opportunity to express their views and to be heard.
We were talking about fishery resources. According to some studies, if seals and sea lions had been eliminated from the St. Lawrence estuary, fish stocks might not be as low as they now are. When they said so 20 years ago, no one listened to them. Politicians were above all this; they argued that the problem lay elsewhere.
We now see that the level of fish stocks and other resources in the ocean is only about 5 per cent of what it was in 1974. Before we lose forever this remaining 5 per cent, the federal government should wise up and start consulting the provinces as well as the fishermen and other people concerned. But they prefer not to do so directly. Forget about the Constitution.
What are we doing here, Mr. Speaker? I wonder. I simply want to tell the hon. member for Vancouver Quadra that I also wonder what he is doing here. We must talk about the Constitution. If they do not want to take direct action, fine, but they should still proceed indirectly so that the goal is achieved. As Balzac said, the bottle does not matter as much as the drunkenness. To the hon. member for Vancouver Quadra, I say I will not take offence at the means used, as long as the goal is achieved. That is all I ask.