Mr. Chairman, I appreciate your allowing me to rise in the House today to debate a matter of considerable concern to me.
I am a bit surprised that the Alliance has decided to consider this to be an emergency debate but has not found the opportunity to ask any question on this file for the past three weeks.
For anyone to say that this has not been a top priority for the government is absolutely wrong. On the advice given to us by the member from Vancouver Island we have been working on it. The Prime Minister has raised it with the president.
I hear a member saying something but it is my opportunity to speak. Yesterday the party opposite told the whole House that the government had not met its targets. It was completely wrong again because it does not do its homework. The Alliance members have a hard time.