Madam Speaker, I have spent countless hours, days and weeks trying to coalesce a coalition to develop a consensus around this issue to get broad based support for the principles behind something which I think is essential. It concerns the economy of Newfoundland and Labrador in terms of its opportunities, but also in terms of its needs.
One of the things that we have learned in this House in a very short session of Parliament so far is that these motions have impact. These motions are gauged and judged by the words that make them up.
We have seen in this House already some contentious motions put forward about the fiscal circumstances and transfers in our country. In fact, one of the very first motions to come forward was put forward by the Bloc Quebecois and was perceived to give certain preference, during the course of the equalization conference, to one province over the other. I am not going to judge or prejudge that, but many premiers had a very specific point of view about that. They felt that the language of the motion put them at a disadvantage.
One of the things that I know about this, and the leader of the opposition will agree, is that this motion calls on the federal government to immediately implement its pledges and to allow the provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia to keep 100% of their provincial offshore oil and gas revenues.
As I said earlier, the details of this are very important. The wording of motions is not without consequence and is not mundane. The wording is very important. We have heard in this House from the Minister of Natural Resources and others that currently Newfoundland and Labrador keeps 100% of its provincial offshore oil and gas revenues.
Would the leader of the NDP agree to and support, and help develop an amendment with the mover to actually articulate the technical language that is required to enact the Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador's wishes?
If there were an economist or a public policy analyst that would come forward, the very intelligent people of Newfoundland and Labrador would attest to this because they have been following this for quite some time. They know that this language is not fully subscribing to what is required in that equalization is not an offshore oil and gas revenue. It is a transfer from the federal government to the provinces. Equalization is a transfer and is not encompassed in the provincial offshore oil and gas revenue scheme. Therefore, if we were to define this after the fact, we could come to the conclusion that this actually does not necessarily fulfill the wishes of the provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia.
What we really need to do, and I think the hon. member would agree with me, is to clarify the centrepiece of the issue here in that there is a disagreement on technical language and what that language means. I want to clarify that. I want to get to the root of this. I want to put forward a very clear, succinct and straightforward principle which honours the commitment, and actually enacts and does that which was intended, not only through the accord but through other commitments. Will the hon. member assist me in doing that?