Madam Speaker, I thank the member for St. Albert. He at least prepared his question after my remarks. He did not write it three weeks ago.
On the other hand, when he tells me what constitutes Canada, I agree. There is a Chinese saying: "Feed a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime". That is sort of the way it worked with the provincial transfers the federal government has always made to Quebec. It gave us transfer payments to buy our groceries. Ontario gets the about the same amount, but in the form of industrial infrastructures, things that, as in the case of my Chinese fisherman, help provide a living.
That is the nuance the Liberals make. I see the member for Sault Ste. Marie jumping up. He will never admit it, of course, but that is the essence of the problem in the Canadian federation. Quebecers get a bit of money to stock their fridges, Ontarians get money to
build industries, to get people to work and process raw materials. There lies the injustice at the heart of this federation. What hurts the most is having a francophone who is in the process of losing his status shout at you that you are wrong. I am sorry, but that is Canada's history.
The member for St. Albert may be upset-it is his prerogative-but I say: "Be fair. Start treating Quebecers fairly. It is about time-you are 100 years late. Perhaps Quebecers will change their thinking about you". Perhaps it will be easier to reach agreements.
It will not be by assimilating and frustrating us, as you have done for the past 100 years, especially as concerns Quebec's industrial development, and by setting up little tariff barriers. Free trade hurt you? Why? Because, now to stock my fridge I can buy from you or go elsewhere if you are too expensive. I could not do that before. That hurt you. Think about it.