Mr. Speaker, it is hard to know how to deal with the underlying thesis of the hon. member's speech. It seems to indicate that fiscal imbalance should be redressed, regardless of economic circumstances, and that it does not matter what formula is used, the federal government should only pay out one way on a formula .
A few years ago there was a happy little surprise in equalization because primarily the Province of Ontario, along with some of the other provinces as well, did very well and so there was a $2.2 billion unexpected surplus in the way in which equalization moneys were calculated.
Does the hon. member think that when that happens, for example, one province enjoys a particular level of prosperity and is prepared through the formula to share with the rest of the provinces, that it should not happen?
I do not understand the hon. member's basic thrust here. He seems to only think that equalization should go up rather than being what it is, truly a formula which has been redressing the fiscal imbalances in this country for 20 years and actually narrowing the fiscal balances over the past 20 years.
Regarding the point that the government is dragging its feet, as was said, there were 47 meetings. Sometimes we end up just talking to the wall.