Mr. Speaker, this is a very solemn moment for me. I have been sitting here in silence for some 20 minutes while the member illustrated to me, to the House of Commons and to the people of Canada why there is a separatist party and why there is a Reform Party. I did not create it.
We in the west, the people of Quebec and the people of Atlantic Canada have tolerated for too many years being denigrated, being minimized and being insulted. It went all the way from Trudeau and his famous one finger salute to his denigrating statements against farmers. It continued with Mulroney and his arrogance and his father knows best attitude over the whole country, and it continues. I humbly want to say that illustrates why the Reform is here.
It would be good advice for Liberal members to watch the speech on television again, to review it and ask themselves the heart rending question: “Do you win friends by ripping into them the way the member did?”
We had a speaker at the united alternative who told us about the concerns of Quebec. He saw in our group some hope for solving the problem and staying in the country. We gave him a proud standing ovation and I would do it again. This member who was present has it all wrong.