Mr. Speaker, the response to his invitation is no.
As for the first part of his comment—for which I thank the member, who is one of the hardest working members in the House—he suggests that Quebec is the spoiled child of the federation and that it is receiving more than its share of federal spending.
I wish to remind him that if Quebec is receiving more than its share of provincial transfer payments for employment insurance, it is mainly because it is not receiving its share of spending to create jobs.
Some spending produces nothing because the money goes to people who stay at home, which does not create any jobs, and some spending that produces jobs.
Quebec is not receiving its share of the money that creates jobs. I will repeat a few figures that I gave just before concluding: 21% of federal goods and services are purchased in Quebec, and yet we represent between 24% and 25% of the population; 15% of current transfers to businesses, and yet we represent 25% of the population; 18% of federal investments between 1992 and 1997, and yet we represent 25% of the population.
Quebec's annual shortfall with respect to federal goods and services spending is $1.7 billion. This represents 30,000 jobs in Quebec and an approximate drop in unemployment rates of 1%. If, instead of doing all its investing in Ontario, the government ensured that Quebec received its fair share, then we could talk again.