Mr. Speaker, I think the paralysis started to set in this past summer, as soon as we learned there would be only one real candidate in the Liberty Party of Canada leadership race.
So an overall plan was drawn up. First, change the effective date for the electoral map, so that the gentleman soon to be prime minister can call an election without having to defend himself here in this House. He will thus be able to avoid having to take part in any debate during oral question period, and will also manage to avoid the Auditor General's report scheduled for November. In fact, if Parliament is not sitting at that time, that is a good way to get around all this. That is part one of the plan.
Part two concerns the equalization payments we are discussing today. They are talking about maintaining the status quo and extending the period by one year. This will get us over the coming year while not requiring the new prime minister to disclose his position on this matter. At the same time, it saves the present government from public contradiction such as we have witnessed with Via Rail and a number of other instances. The government and the present prime minister have their hands tied. The PM is unable to take any decisions to get government business moving.
The same thing is happening now with the equalization payments, and this is why we must avoid falling into the trap. It must be made clear that equalization payments are a good thing, but it is not a good thing to pass this bill now. It is not a good bill, because it places the provinces and our fellow citizens at a disadvantage.
Before such a bill is passed, maximum use must be made of the negotiation approach. In February 2004, there will be all the time in the world to enact such a bill. If it should happen that an agreement is not reached, the period could then be extended so as to ensure the equalization payment system can continue to operate.
If an agreement is reached in the meantime, however, it must be adopted in the House and not in a bill such as the one we have before us at this time, which will enable the federal government to gain two years of negotiation. Once again, this perpetuates the traditional view that the federal level has the spending power, has the money, and has the upper hand whenever anything is asked of it.
In this debate, we want to see equality of opportunity for the provinces and the federal government. We do not want to see the federal government armed with one more tool or weapon, thus creating an imbalance so that we will not get the best possible system.