Mr. Speaker, with respect to the future I only have to say to the member that if it were not for the strong will of all people on Cape Breton Island we would not have been able to have any future in the last 30 years.
The member must recognize what is happening on Cape Breton Island. I am not talking about the inability of Cape Bretoners to survive. God knows. We have survived over the course of the last 30 years with absolutely no assistance from the government, although the minister and government members would like people in central Canada to believe so.
Nobody has ever questioned the amount of money that has come to Cape Breton Island, but the reality of it is that it has gone into the hands of a few. I am not talking about no future. I know there will be a future on Cape Breton Island because unlike the government I believe in the people of the island. We are talking about a transition. We are talking about a cold and calculated plan on an island that has been suffering a right wing agenda for the last 10 years.
In 1993 Cape Breton had approximately $1.2 billion circulating in the economy, but as we know the federal government cut transfers by 35% and interestingly enough the money circulating in Cape Breton lessened by 35%. Then came the collapse of the fishery. It is absolutely clear now who was responsible for that. The federal government came in with changes to EI in 1996, which took another $100 million out of our economy. The minister now stands and says that he will take the federal government out of the coal industry, which will mean another $300 million out of an economy that is already in crisis, and we are supposed to be happy.
The economic analysis that has been done with respect to this decision of the federal government puts the dollar figure at $1.5 billion. I will never be willing to accept a $68 million cheque dressed up how the minister wants to dress it up for a $1.5 billion problem.
I do not doubt that we will have a future, but we need some serious commitment on behalf of the government. During the course of the last 2.5 years the government's actions speak a lot louder than its words.