Mr. Speaker, first, if the federal government had not cut transfer payments to the provinces, many things would be better. Second, unions in our province have made tremendous progress for many years.
As a unionist, I think we must know what we want from society. We live in a society that is constantly changing, and I congratulate the Quebec premier for going through this exercise with the unions. There are differences of opinion, but there are also many points on which both sides agree. I believe an agreement will be reached as soon as possible.
Some things do not change, though. I am referring to the multinationals and the family trusts. I should also have talked about the banks. Banks make billions of dollars in profits. I understand the banking system, and I know that the profits belong to the shareholders. But why not ask the banks to make a greater effort? Why can we not get a little more out of them? This way, we could provide better protection for the poor.
How dare the government take money from the unemployment insurance fund, which is financed in part by the unemployed and in part by the employers, to reduce the deficit? This is simply outrageous. I almost feel compelled to say it is robbery.