Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the points of debate raised by my colleague opposite.
In the social policy renewal initiative began in August 1995 by the premiers. There is a long series of initiatives and steps of progress that has been made in the process of social policy renewal by the provinces and territories since that time. I will not go through that. Given the hon. member's erudition he is well familiar with these.
From August 1995 to December 1998 the premiers have been beavering away in sensible, logical, well thought out steps on social policy renewal. I would like to ask the hon. member what the federal government has done to assist and to influence this process and how long the hon. member believes would be reasonable before the federal government actually comes to some conclusion in this whole process which has now been going on since at least August 1995.