Madam Speaker, I was not sure I would have the opportunity to be heard this afternoon. So, I am glad to be able to speak today on Bill C-47. First, I would like to congratulate my hon. colleague from Saint-Hyacinthe--Bagot for the presentation he made earlier as he educated us and told the people watching this debate on television that the way the government dealt with Bill C-47 was a disgrace.
The Bloc Quebecois supported this bill until our colleague from Saint-Hyacinthe--Bagot realized, in parliamentary committee, that the die had already been cast. Instead of protecting the interests of the public, of organizations simply asking for their fair share—which is what the government was elected for—it protected the big shots who are very close to the government.
The bill did not refer to the excise tax on beer. As we all know, this bill dealing with the taxation of spirits, wine and tobacco and the treatment of ships' stores was also supposed to deal with the taxation of beer. Unfortunately, microbreweries, which are doing well and taking up 4% to 5% of the market, will not be considered as breweries. The Canadian Council of Regional Breweries finds this appalling. Microbreweries are important because they mainly operate in regions and are significantly contributing to local economies.
In my region, in L'Anse-Saint-Jean, which is located in the riding of my colleague from Chicoutimi—Le Fjord to be more precise, there is a microbrewery that was producing, a few years ago, seven different brands. Nowadays, it only brews three different brands: Illégale, Folie Douce and Royale.
Why have Brasseurs de l'Anse Inc., in the Saguenay region, had to limit its share of the market in the last few years? Because it was being treated unfairly by the government. I find it quite pathetic that the hon. member for Chicoutimi--Le Fjord, who claims to be concerned about regional development, would choose to support the member for London West.
I find what happened this week at the finance committee most inappropriate. Madam Speaker, I am also a woman. We both have a position in our society. These days, many women have careers and we see more and more women at executive levels. When the member for Saint-Hyacinthe--Bagot, my leader and the member for Roberval brought up that practice at the finance committee, the Prime Minister of Canada thought they had acted condescendingly towards women. I interpreted what he said as being contemptuous towards women in general and myself. He understood quite differently what the members of my party were saying. What he understood was not what my colleagues meant. I am a woman and if my colleagues had meant that women should not occupy important positions, I would have been the first to call them to order.
My colleagues said that the member for London West who is a woman and chair of the Standing Committee on Finance--