Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his comments. I also want to make it clear that the Bloc Quebecois is absolutely in favour of protecting the environment and taking the necessary measures to ensure that we live in an increasingly cleaner environment.
However, the Bloc Quebecois is totally opposed to Bill C-48, because it is yet another federal interference in areas of provincial jurisdiction.
If the government wants to create marine areas, regardless of which department does it and regardless of the names given to these areas—because we now know that three departments are interested in creating such areas—it must first appropriate the ocean floor. But the ocean floor comes under the sovereign right of the provinces.
The federal government is once again showing its bad faith. There can be no better proof. The hon. member said he visited the Saguenay—St. Lawrence park last summer. It is a beautiful park co-managed by Canada and Quebec.
As my colleague, the member for Portneuf, pointed out, the Government of Canada has once again interfered in an area of provincial jurisdiction in attempting to create marine conservation areas on our territory.
I would like to know whether my colleague is aware of this problem of the federal government again charging into an area of provincial jurisdiction, and whether he does not share our impression that once again the Liberal government of the Prime Minister, the member for Shawinigan, is doing everything it can to pit the provinces against the federal government.