Mr. Speaker, I have risen from my laryngitis simply because I feel compelled to remark that of the many atrocious speeches I have heard in this place the member's ranks toward the very top of the list.
It is fascinating to have learned from the hon. demagogue opposite that he and his colleagues are in favour of equity, civility, collectivity, sweetness and niceness and little furry kittens, and the opposition is in favour eviscerating all that is good and civil about our society. I am delighted to see that the hon. member has a very mature Manichaean view of the political pluralism in the country.
I will bring the hon. member's attention to a speech delivered by the hon. leader of the opposition this morning. The hon. member opposite suggested that the Reform Party opposes all manner of equalization carte blanche and would eliminate such programs.
This is simply, completely, totally inaccurate, false, wrong and misleading. The hon. member would know that, had he been here this morning to hear the hon. Leader of the Opposition say that the Reform Party “supports equalization”. We support the principle of equalization. The people of Alberta, B.C. and Ontario generally support equalization as well. He went on to say that this is an important principle in our federation. What the hon. Leader of the Opposition did say, and I would second his comments, is that we have concerns about the way the formula is calculated and the way the program is applied.
The hon. member suggested that Newfoundland this year has the highest rate of GDP growth in the country. Marvellous. Kudos to Newfoundland and Labrador. We can all join in commending the people of that province for moving ahead economically. However, I would point out that that region is receiving hundreds of millions of equalization dollars from the taxpayers of British Columbia who are right now in a recession.
Given the hon. member's kind-hearted generosity, compassion and care for all, would he be prepared to adjust the equalization formula so that the fastest growing province in the country could help the only province that today is in recession?