Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his comments and his question. However, I do not think that I need a lecture from the hon. member on respect.
I am not saying that I oppose changes to the equalization formula. I am not saying that at all. Yes, he is right about Nova Scotia. Yes, he is right about Newfoundland and Labrador.
My point is simply this. If the government continues to take back, dollar for dollar, any royalties that we get from oil and gas, or from Voisey's Bay, if we ever get to develop it, we will not become a have province. Voisey's Bay is still in the ground. The company paid something like $4.2 billion for control of the resource, and there is much more than that there.
My point is that there had to be changes. If we are ever going to become a have province, then we are going to have to be able to keep some of the royalties that we get from those resources and not be penalized by the federal government clawing them back. That is my point.
I am not against changing it. I know what the hon. member is saying about three provinces and seven provinces. We want to be a have province.
What I said was out of no disrespect for the west. What I said was that too often in this Chamber members stand in their place who are a little too parochial but think that they understand the problems of other regions and have solutions for other regions when they do not understand the people and they have never been there. How can someone understand the people, their issues and concerns if they do not go to where those people are to gain an understanding of their problems?
Perhaps members could criticize me for not having a great enough understanding of the west. I could probably be fairly criticized for that. However, I am suggesting that if members of parliament are going to recommend solutions for people from other parts of the country we have to understand the people and the problems before bringing solutions that just do not cut it.