Madam Speaker, I would ask the member, in reply to his very good question, to carefully read the words of former Quebec premier, Mr. Bouchard, who recently talked about the fact that a country that is overly protectionist, overly taxed and overly regulated stifles innovation and entrepreneurial spirit. The people of Quebec are remarkable for their entrepreneurial spirit. They have proven time and time again how innovative they can be. They have proven that they can compete with the best in the world, but past policies within the province of Quebec have in fact created an uncompetitive atmosphere.
The proposals that we are talking about in the gateway legislation have to do first with the west coast, but the benefits come all the way across Canada. I would want to work closely with our colleagues in Quebec to do what can be done to dismantle the heavy federal burden of the over-regulatory regime, over-taxation, and the unnecessary continued federal involvement in areas of provincial jurisdiction, which puts a weight on the people and the industry in Quebec and makes them less competitive.
We want to see the people of Quebec absolutely removed of these unnecessary burdens, so they can be free to compete and succeed with the best in the world, as they have proven they can do.