Mr. Speaker, I heard part of the member's speech while I was in my office. I missed some while en route and heard the end of it while I was here. There may be some gaps and perhaps he has addressed this point.
I have a very simple question. The Conservatives were in power for nine years. During that time there were, as with this government, no substantial changes made to the equalization program. There was no concerted effort to fix up the problems in it and to try to make it a true equalization payment system instead of what it has become. I wonder whether this represents a new thrust on the part of the PC Party or whether it just wants to gloss over the errors of the past. I am asking a sort of rhetorical question.
I am really intrigued with the idea that the Tories now want to basically scuttle the bill in order to send it back to committee, which would mean it probably would not meet the deadline for continuing the payments to the provinces. Is he actually interested in scuttling it or in revamping it? What exactly is his purpose?