Mr. Speaker, I know the member for Châteauguay was actually working through the chair. He was just looking at me and that is why his comments may have seemed a bit more pointed.
I say to the member for Châteauguay that the Bloc is losing its raison d'être. We do know that there are certain provincial jurisdictions in the provinces. Having been in another level of government, I recognize that those jurisdictions are selfishly guarded, as well they should.
The member for Châteauguay said that there would be standards set within the province of Quebec. Good for the province of Quebec. I hope those standards would be set at a higher level and a higher bar than perhaps the standards would be set at a federal level because they would then take precedence. Those standards would take precedence within the provincial government and those would be the standards they would try to achieve. I say good for the hon. member. I hope he does have the highest standard of water quality within our country.
However there are other provinces that perhaps may not set those same standards. What I am saying is that when I go to Quebec City, one of the most beautiful cities in the world, I expect to have water quality that I can depend on. I expect also when I go to Winnipeg, Manitoba or Dauphin, Manitoba that the level of standard, that bar, should be attained. I see the member for Dauphin—Swan River, whose area had some serious water quality problems.
As for the jurisdiction, absolutely. Co-operative federalism is a buzzword we have heard in the House so often. I wish we could finally put it into effect. We should have co-operation among the provinces, the territories, and I have even thrown in the municipal governments. It is necessary that there be a tripartite co-operative relationship and a tripartite funding relationship.