Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to have the opportunity to speak on Group No. 13. These are, again, very important motions. Since this is that last group of motions, let me start with a brief preamble, nothing too long.
During the report stage here in the House, every time I rose to speak on the 13 groups of motions with, as the hon. member for Chambly put it, a hand held out in co-operation and a new approach to constitutional negotiations, because I did not want to launch a constitutional debate, I only wanted to make the government realize that to reach this bill's goal, which is to implement an integrated oceans management strategy, it had to create some kind of partnership.
I wanted to draw the government's attention to the fact that, in my opinion, the government's major partners are the provinces, because they are the ones that formed Canada. For each part of this bill-there are three-I asked the government not to forget about the provinces and to consult with them right at the beginning and, in some cases, to work with them.
Since we are talking about Motions Nos. 84 and 85 concerning the fees stipulated in clause 50, let me say again that I am asking the government to consult with the provinces, because it is within their territories that the action will take place. In many cases, we want the provinces to levy the fees.
In order to improve transparency, I am urging the government in Motion No. 85 to consult with the standing committee. I want to reassure the House that consulting with a House committee is nothing to worry about, especially since the majority of the standing committee members are from the Liberal Party. That is what my motions on this issue are all about.
As for the other motions, Motions Nos. 77, 79 and 81 presented by members of the Reform Party, I regret to say that we are not in agreement with them. We think that the idea of setting fees by specific marine sector runs counter to what the witnesses who appeared before the standing committee were saying. The majority of witnesses objected to the government's proposal of dividing the country into three regions. I therefore cannot go along with the Reform Party's motions.
However, in order to show you that, in the House and in committee, we have taken a non-partisan approach for the good of the cause, the Bloc Quebecois will support the Reform Party's Motion No. 83, since the purpose of this motion is to force the government to consult with the users of services.
It would be only natural to consult the users, given that, in the case of fees for navigational aids for commercial vessels, the government has often used the expression "user pay". But there is also the expression "user pay, user say". I think that this is the thought behind the Reform Party's Motion No. 83, which the Bloc Quebecois will support.
Motions Nos. 86 and 87 are very interesting and very forward looking. I would not want to get into the wording as such. But I am very interested to see that they contain the idea of a two way communication. Motion No. 83 provides that users shall be consulted. Motion No. 86 specifies how users shall be informed. The idea is a very good one and we will support it.
Time is flying and I must quickly wrap up. Motion No. 86 sets out when the information shall be published and how must time shall elapse. Motion No. 87 provides for a process of feedback. It is not enough to announce something. You must make sure that it will produce the expected results. If someone in Canada can show the government that it is on the wrong track, there has to be a review mechanism. The Bloc Quebecois will therefore support the Reform Party's Motions Nos. 86 and 87.
In conclusion, I would like to say that I have appreciated working with parliamentarians from all parties, especially members of the Bloc Quebecois, who sometimes got quite carried away. You cannot blame them for their enthusiasm, with all they had to say, and their responsibility as representatives of the people of Quebec. I think we should be proud of the work they did.
We hope that the work we did as the official opposition will bring the government around to delaying third reading of this bill, because they need to go back to the drawing board. On that note, and in the hope that the government will be understanding about third reading, which, we hope, will take place as late as possible next fall, the Bloc Quebecois is ready for the vote.