That is a question that Cape Bretoners will ask. That is a question Canadians should ask. As the Prime Minister stands in Berlin and delivers his speech on the Canadian way, the headlines say that the Prime Minister wants to take the party back to its roots. Its roots are here. When members opposite vote down these amendments and vote in favour of Bill C-11 they will have ripped up the roots of the Liberal Party.
I know this is not easy because I have had discussions with colleagues of mine on the other side. I know that they struggle with it. Some members opposite shake their heads. When the member for Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar talked about the labour situation in Colombia, some of the members shook their heads. I know they said he was not being relevant.
Let me tell the House what will happen with the passage of the bill. The number one asset of the Cape Breton Development Corporation is the contract to sell coal to Nova Scotia Power. It is worth millions. The proposed buyer for the assets of the Cape Breton Development Corporation will be an American multinational that will ship coal. It is already coming in. It is already feeding Nova Scotia Power. It is turning a profit for Colombian mine owners who murder trade unionists in their country.
When the bill passes there is no guarantee that Cape Breton coal will be mined. There is no guarantee that Cape Breton coal miners will have work. The government cannot guarantee that. We asked it that at committee.
I urge members to ask the minister in their caucus meeting whether Cape Breton coal will feed Nova Scotia Power. Will it feed that asset? The minister should be honest with his own caucus. Members will have an opportunity to find out at the caucus meeting. I urge members of the Liberal Party who believe in the vision of Pearson, Pepin and MacEachen to ask the minister in caucus whether there a guarantee that Cape Breton coal will feed the Nova Scotia Power contract. If he says yes, with some guarantees, I think they can vote in conscience on Bill C-11, but I do not think he can give them that guarantee. I know he cannot give them that guarantee.
I asked the chairman of the board when he testified. We asked the miners. We asked the minister when he came. We asked Nova Scotia Power who it would buy coal from. It said whoever could produce quality coal at the cheapest price.
In a year, when Colombian coal is coming into Sydney harbour, if it comes and it will, it will be on their shoulders and the responsibility of members of the Liberal Party. They cannot say they were not told. I have told them. They cannot say they were not warned. They have been warned.
Tomorrow night we will see how they will vote. I should say for the record what is going on here tonight. This is one of the last debates on the amendments to the bill. We are having the debate tonight in extended hours because government members, again in an effort to push the legislation through the House, moved a motion that we would have extended hours. We have extended hours and there has only been passion in this debate by members of the New Democratic Party.
On behalf of the people of Cape Breton, I want to thank the 20 members of the fourth party in the House who have led the fight with my colleague and myself to try to bring forward some justice. It has only been us. We have been alone.
Let me conclude by talking about what a miner's wife said to me who came to testify before the committee. I ask Liberal members to listen. I will admit that after she testified we went out for a beer. There were two young former Liberals there. We went down to D'Arcy McGee's for a beer and surprise, surprise, there was a Cape Breton band playing. The bar was packed as they played Celtic music. This woman looked at me and said “Peter, I do not understand it. They like our music. They like our culture. Why do they hate us so much?”