Mr. Speaker, I may not seem enthusiastic, but I am enthusiastic. Under this exterior of certain calmness and seriousness I am very excited about the possibility of speaking to Bill C-65 which concerns equalization payments in Canada.
This defines what is best about being a Canadian. It defines what is best about being a country like ours. I liken it to a family. A well-functioning family, as opposed to a dysfunctional family, is a family that cares for all of its members. If one of the family members is having a difficult time the family rallies around and does whatever is necessary to help. When another member is having a difficult time or runs into some difficulties or problems, the whole extended family rallies around.
That is what distinguishes effective families from those which are less effective. It distinguishes an outstanding family from those we call dysfunctional. Today's discussion reminds me of one of those very functional families, the best of families, a family that cares about all of its members in a real and demonstrable way. Of course in our society that is normally in a financial way.
This bill really says that those provinces which are doing very well for whatever reason, be it location, an abundance of natural resources or whatever the advantage, are seriously prepared to assist those having difficulties or those that are less fortunately endowed in terms of natural resources, location, financial resources or whatever.
What does that tell us about our country? I suspect it is the kind of characteristic that attracts people from all over the world who want to live here. They know no matter where they live in Canada, whether it is in Atlantic Canada, the north, south, east, west, central, wherever, that being a Canadian citizen means relatively the same thing. They would have access to the same kinds of services. They would have access to relatively the same kinds of opportunities, whether it is university or college training in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia or Victoria, British Columbia.
Access would be relatively the same. One of the ways we accomplish that is through programs like equalization. Clearly, when it comes to the vote on this bill, the New Democratic Party caucus members in the House of Commons will be voting enthusiastically in favour of the legislation.
As a matter of fact, the very concept we are talking about today, equalization payments in Canada, is part of our Constitution. It is written right into the Constitution. It is what Canada is all about. The Constitution says reasonable and comparable services no matter where they live. What a glorious phrase. What a glorious statement to hold up to describe what being a Canadian is all about.