Mr. Speaker, after listening to the remarks of my colleague from Nova Scotia, I cannot quite square what he said about his government intending to give Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador 100% of its resources and yet his inability to support this motion.
The member will know, coming from Atlantic Canada, that historically there have been some travesties when it comes to our natural resources. Our fisheries first and foremost comes to mind.
The member from Prince Edward Island would agree as well that there are still huge challenges that face our fishers in this day and age as a result of mismanagement by successive governments of all political stripes. Similarly, the province of Newfoundland and Labrador had a terrible travesty with respect to the Churchill Falls agreement which deprived the province of huge revenue streams from a natural resource that should have gone into its economy.
The member would be quick to agree that this has historic long term significance. For that reason I would ask him whether he unequivocally supports the Premier of Nova Scotia in his effort to get the absolute best deal which assures that the 100% revenue stream will go to the province of Nova Scotia, similarly go to the province of Newfoundland and Labrador and, most important, that those positions are united, that this will not be an effort by his government to divide and conquer as we have seen so often play out in Atlantic Canada on issues such as this.
This will have long term benefits not only for those two provinces. It will flow to Prince Edward Island and hopefully to British Columbia and New Brunswick as well.
Does the member support his premier in an effort to get the best deal possible?