Mr. Speaker, in answer to my colleague's question, I do not feel there is much interest for this bill in Quebec.
If I go by the consultation that was supposed to take place, I am told that hardly anyone showed any interest in it. I do not know if it opens the door wider to federal intervention or if Ottawa will be reluctant to intervene since there is hardly any interest or support coming from Quebec.
I will take my area as an example; I cannot see the federal government stepping in when it came to a rather extraordinary body of water, namely Lake Saint-Pierre, which might be designated by UNESCO as a world heritage site for its flora and fauna. I cannot imagine that the federal government would throw its weight around.
Unless the federal government waves its constitutional magic wand, pouring in millions of dollars, using the surpluses, money from the unemployment insurance fund, pretending to be generous with Quebecers and giving them goodies, in our opinion anyway, to buy their conscience when they should condemn federal intervention and stand their ground. They might instead see it as being advantageous to their association or pressure group, making it easier money wise, as they would be freed from financial constraints.
As we know the flesh is weak. We know the government can be forward-looking. We know it, the Privy Council is here to make sure of it. Unless the federal government is banking on human weakness, I hope that the people, in Quebec at least, will see through it and be on their guard for Quebecers' sake.