Madam Speaker, I want to bring forward a few issues that were referred to earlier today. The member mentioned equality between Correctional Service Canada and RCMP wages. Certainly equalization is very much a part of this great debate. I believe equalization is more than just money. I think it is equal opportunity. It was raised earlier today that the government has a policy that it does not hire people for jobs in Ottawa from anywhere else in many cases except from Ontario and Quebec.
I referred to one example in question period. The Public Service Commission is advertising for 50 permanent jobs in Ottawa which pay up to $81,000 but they are open only to people in Ontario and Quebec. People from the hon. member's riding cannot apply. People from my riding cannot apply even though there are 50 permanent jobs. The government could spread these out a bit but it is if not doing that. It wants the total focus to be from Ontario and Quebec.
Could the hon. member comment on that from an equal opportunity point of view and from a national perspective? These 50 jobs are for planners, advisers and policy people. The government says it has 50 job openings and it wants all the people to come from Ontario and Quebec. How does that make the western Canadian members feel?