Mr. Speaker, here we have a debate that seems very curious to me. We have just heard an hon. member say that she does not agree with this kind of insurance policy. I agree with her completely.
It is quite surprising to see a government, not yet a full three years into its mandate, elected with a huge majority, hurrying to adjourn the House and get ready for an election, when in theory a government is elected for five years. People are asking us questions, “Why is there such a hurry? Why do you have to go so fast or stop working now, when the government is still in its teenage years?” Elected for a five year term, we have not yet completed three years, and here we are passing laws to take out insurance policies, just in case, and put off the work. It seems very curious.
I forgot to mention that I will be sharing my time with the hon. member for Bas-Richelieu—Nicolet—Bécancour.
I do not think we need this insurance policy, because we have all the time in the world. This agreement is good for five years and there are still five months left until it is due for renewal. We simply have to keep on sitting and working. The provinces would like nothing better.
Why should we pass a law that gives the federal government an insurance policy against its inaction and against the fact that we will not be sitting, even though we were only elected three years ago? This Parliament's mandate could theoretically last five years. Why is this government so inactive that it needs an insurance policy? At the same time, what would that insurance policy provide to the provinces?
In the spring, we will be having an election. Between now and the spring, we will hardly be sitting at all. Why? Because there is a man at the controls who does not want to show himself. And what is more, there is a man who shows himself to us, but he is not at the controls. The other day, he said that the Liberals could walk and chew gum at the same time. The difference here is that one of them is doing the walking and the other is chewing the gum.
It is quite curious to see that we are in a situation where nothing is moving forward. This is the second bill we have had to consider that moves something up. It is also the first time that a government has presented a bill like the one that moved the date of implementation of the new electoral boundaries ahead. Under normal circumstances, we would have had until August 28 to work with the old electoral boundaries if there were an election.
Suddenly, there is someone outside the House, walking between the walls and the curtain, who is pulling the strings. Or rather to ensure even greater invisibility, he is walking between the wallpaper and the wall. Sometimes he is visible. Suddenly, like the holy ghost, he disappears. This makes things difficult.
We are being asked to adopt this bill, which will mean that provinces will not be assured of being heard. Once this bill is passed, the government will have one year. This means that there will be an election and a new government. As a result, those in power will be able to say that they have all the time in the world, and the provinces will not be assured of being heard. This is normally the case, and it will be even more true once the hon. member for LaSalle—Émard is at the helm.
It is difficult to believe that Canadians and Quebeckers will be subjected to something so completely illogical.
The equalization program is up for discussion and is being discussed. It is also difficult to understand. It must be renewed and is subject to constant negotiations. This is an extremely costly program to administer and is extremely difficult for all the provinces and those heading the negotiations to understand.
The old program is being extended, simply because there is a refusal to deal with our obligations. It would be infinitely easier, as the Bloc Quebecois motion asked, for the hon. member for LaSalle—Émard, the future prime minister, to come to the House. In a few days, he will be elected leader of his party, so he should be in his seat. Instead of paralyzing the government, which is afraid of being wrong about issues the hon. member will be asked about prior to an election, he should face the music so that negotiations on equalization can continue and so that we can do our jobs.
We will not be asking for an insurance policy for the federal government. The best insurance is for us to do our jobs. There are five months left in which to negotiate with the provinces and renew the equalization agreement. Then the provinces should be able to demand whatever they are currently unable to demand because everyone has been waiting for the federal government to renew the agreement since the spring.
We can see what is happening with government spending and all that is being spent to paralyze the government. I know how much it costs to run this government and the House of Commons. For several months, we have been at a standstill. A telling comparison would be a car without snow tires on an icy road. The wheels are spinning and the car is not moving. We are just killing time.
A more logical approach, and a better insurance policy, would be for those who are pulling the strings from behing the scene come to the House. We could then do our work.
The hon. member for Joliette mentioned the astounding increase in spending, especially in the administration of a program such as this one. For example, he said that the cost of running the federal bureaucracy has increased 35%. Meanwhile, they managed to cut the budgets of almost everyone. They have cut the health budgets of the provinces and demanded all kinds of things in return for handing them their due.
The income of seniors has been cut, because they were not given the guaranteed income supplement. We know a bill is in the works, just before the election, to right these wrongs. The fact remains that some $3 billion has been taken from the income of the neediest seniors. The EI fund has also been used.
This government feels it can used whatever means are necessary to serve the political interests of the party and of the one who is pulling the strings behind the scene.
To conclude, I would like to tell you that the best insurance policy we can get is for the House to go on sitting and finish its work, so that the provinces and our fellow citizens will be well served.