Mr. Speaker, I found it quite startling to hear the member for Pontiac express pride that Peruvian lumber was being exported to the industry in his area.
Before I was an MP, I was a union representative in the forestry industry. I find it aberrant to hear someone from Quebec expressing pride about having Peruvian wood here, when it takes jobs away from the Quebec forestry industry.
I can also tell hon. members that 2,000 to 3,000 jobs have been lost because of the softwood lumber crisis. We are not changing the direction of the debate. He started it and we are continuing in the same vein.
Clearly and simply, the Government of Canada has also helped regional development. Regional, not Canadian. When the region is involved, it goes through Quebec. The minister has just spoken about federal MPs coming into ridings to hand out money. Yes, we see them coming ostentatiously, handing out money, wanting to make nice, wanting to get us on side with them, putting on a good show.
But that is not what a good show is all about. If they want to show us their good side, let them hand the money over to Quebec. I think we are grown up enough to be able to take that money and invest it in companies that will be the pride of Quebec, without having Canada as an intermediary. We do not need that. Let them give us the money and we will look after it.
I do not want to add to what my colleague, the member for Brome—Missisquoi, has said about the single taxpayer. I think that single taxpayer pays too much. If there is a surplus of $9 billion, it is because we have paid too much. So let them give us our money back. That is what the fiscal imbalance is all about. We are capable of economic development, and that development will be sustainable development. We will not go to Peru to get wood, we will get it in Quebec. Let them settle the softwood lumber crisis as well and there will be more jobs, I believe.