Mr. Speaker, as far as a deadline is concerned, whether it is the end of the year, budget time or next June, that is not the proper way to negotiate an issue that is as relevant and as important to all Canadians as this issue.
With respect to the member's first question dealing with the position of the premiers, it is clearly the case that when this engagement was undertaken, the negotiations on the social union, there was never an intention of imposing a deadline at that point. The negotiations need to be permitted to continue without this kind of external imposition.