Mr. Speaker, yesterday Atlantic Canada took another slap in the face from the federal government in a response from the finance minister.
Atlantic Canadians want to advance their provinces from have not to have status, but the finance minister is intent on holding Atlantic Canadians back by not allowing them to go ahead, and by continuing to claw back the natural resource revenues at close to 100% rates. Yesterday he told the three Atlantic ministers that there would not be any changes to this transfer payment until 2004.
Why is the finance minister making Atlantic Canada wait almost four more years for economic growth?