Madam Speaker, during the course of the debate on this issue, not just in the House, but for the past many days, weeks, months and years, there has been a coalition of very solid, sound people who have stood forward to promote good public policy. Unfortunately, there has also been a very small contingent that has seen fit to try to seize political opportunity. I am not seeing that in this House, and this is a very big room with very big people.
Notwithstanding the preamble to this motion, because as someone who understands and respects what position he is in and others are in, I want to get to the heart of the issue to find out the intentions of the Minister of Natural Resources. As for part B of the question, I ask him to answer a simple question, yea or nay. If the motion were simply “that the federal government immediately implement the pledges of June 5 and 27 and allow the provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia to keep 100% of their provincial offshore oil and gas revenues”, if it were that succinct and clear in form, would he vote for it, yes or no, why or why not?