Madam Speaker, I would like to specifically follow up on some of the member's comments and try to zero in on the motion that we are dealing with today, especially the apparent contradiction between statements made in the House and why it matters.
It seems to me that the crux of the matter is “should we care?” It does not make any difference. The Deputy Prime Minister asks what the difference is and says that it does not matter.
I have jotted down three or four things that I would like the member to comment upon that are essentially the crux of why it matters. It does matter whether we hear the facts here and whether we hear conflicting facts on such an important issue.
The first thing that was touched upon already by the member for Pictou--Antigonish--Guysborough was that the Prime Minister was embarrassed. I do not care if the Prime Minister gets embarrassed; he has embarrassed himself before.
Today the Prime Minister is in New York defending the Canadian dollar and all things Canadian, and trying to put a good face on things. He is no doubt also talking about the war effort with people. They, if not with tongue in cheek then probably with a bit of a smirk on their faces, are wondering if our Prime Minister even knows what he is talking about. Of course it matters because it embarrasses the Prime Minister and therefore it embarrasses the country. This is important because he is our main representative abroad.
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