Unfortunately, I know that Ontarians did not have that pleasure because Unibroue, which makes Blanche de Chambly, Raftman, Eau bénite and la Maudite, which are specialty beers, does not have access to the Ontario market: André Dion, my friend from Chambly, and I salute him, cannot sell his beer in Ontario.
It is sold in Australia, in France, in Belgium, in Germany, in Luxembourg. It sells like hotcakes in the United States, they cannot keep up with demand. I think it is sold in Japan too, but not in Ontario. None is sold in Ontario, because the big buddies of the present federal regime control the distribution of alcohol throughout Ontario.
So Unibroue, from whom astronomical sums were demanded for sales in Ontario, finally was never able to sell a single bottle there, was never able to get it displayed or promoted by the Liquor Control Board of Ontario, because it was a Quebec product. I see my Ontario friends over there are appalled, but they are nodding in agreement. What I am saying is the truth.
The Peace Tower has been restored. In my riding, there is an industry by the name of Ferco, owned by Armand Rainville. It could have been involved in the renovations to the centre block here. Mr. Rainville invented a platform with a retaining wall, which could have been moved up and down the tower. Use of this platform would have reduced the costs of renovations. This is a good product, the proof being that the company rented out their equipment to construct the Atlanta stadium for the Olympics. Their machines are in Thailand, and just about everywhere in the world except Ottawa. They could not place one to Ottawa, because they are not buddies of the regime, friends of the Liberals who paid $3,000 for the privilege of attending a little supper in Westmount where the Prime Minister would deign to look upon them and greet them. That is another way of giving the advantage to one's friends. That is what politics is all about.
People tell me that, deep down, ministers have a bit of a masochistic streak. They have to reveal their private life and all their assets and fight an election campaign. They often get their ears boxed. They get accused of this or that. You really have to want power to subject yourself to all these things and push to be elected and become a minister. I say they are not there for themselves but for their friends. It is their friends they can gratify, provide pleasure and accord certain honours to.
Consider the distilling industry in Canada. Try to start up a distillery in Canada-legally, I mean-to develop a recipe for a fine gin, rye, whiskey or what have you, try to set up shop, with a license and everything. You will never manage it.
Those who have the manufacturing monopoly in Canada are pretty much those we allow to run off with $2 billion in family
trusts. These are the little privileges that the major parties in power offer their friends in exchange for a contribution to election coffers.
The maritimes are no exception. They began to think about blowing off steam perhaps and letting it be known that they had had enough. I saw the Minister of Human Resources Development in a room trying to strut his stuff and being escorted out by police because there was a guy there who was a bit of a bruiser and who was threatening to rough him up.
They will be going after this guy's vote in the next election. We know it is coming. It will be in June. They want his vote and they think they will get it with Bill C-70. They cut his fishing quotas. They lowered his unemployment insurance and made him work longer to get it. They cut his pay. Still they will go after his vote. With $961 million, they are good until June. In the meantime, they will convince him to vote for the Liberal Party of Canada. That is the strategy.
This approach does not fool Canadians and Quebecers. They will make it very clear to the government that this kind of attitude, I might say, this sort of legislative scheming is not acceptable.
Canadians and Quebecers are no fools. In the next election, they will do as they did in October 1993: they will again sweep members of the Bloc into power. I add that, if we had members in the maritimes, they too would be re-elected.
Mr. Speaker, I know you agree with me, although I will not make you say so.
I add that the Bloc Quebecois will vote no, and especially the member for Chambly.