Mr. Speaker, is Canada truly the “best country in the world to live in”?
Two weeks ago, the Minister of Health told us that drinking water comes under provincial jurisdiction, while the equipment used to transport it is the federal government's responsibility.
Nothing surprises us any longer, since we already know that in Quebec the bottom of the St. Lawrence River comes under federal jurisdiction, while the water itself is the responsibility of the province. Fish is a federal responsibility but, once out of the water, it becomes a provincial one. Fishers' boats are registered under federal laws, but their construction is subject to provincial standards and, of course, federal safety regulations. The shores of the St. Lawrence come under provincial jurisdiction, but ports belong to the federal government.
And now the health minister is proud to add to the “best mess in the world to live in” with Bill C-14.
Sovereignty cannot be achieved too soon. We have to get out of this mess.