Mr. Speaker, I listened attentively to the speech of the hon. member. I was a member in the previous Parliament, a whole bunch of parliaments for that matter, and I remember when the same person who is today the Conservative leader said that giving assistance to Atlantic Canada was, in his view, creating a cycle of dependence.
I want to know from the hon. member when his leader stopped believing that and started believing the new proposition that is in today's motion. I am sure Canadians would want to know at precisely what date he converted from the previous mindset regarding assisting people in regions, with particular emphasis on Atlantic Canada I might say, and when he started believing the new one.
I see it agitates members across the way to remind them of the position of the present Leader of the Opposition not that long ago. I do not blame them for being a little perturbed when I remind them of that. Canadians even reminded the Leader of the Opposition of those statements during the last election campaign.
Given that the member is close to the Leader of the Opposition, perhaps he could inform us whether he helped to change the mind of his leader. Did in fact his leader change his mind at all, or is he just posturing today because he sees an opportunity to do so? Perhaps he could assist us and all Canadians in understanding this new conversion on the road to Damascus. Perhaps he could tell us if maybe his leader fell off a horse in order to arrive at this conversion or how else it occurred.