Mr. Speaker, first of all, perhaps the colleague over there ought to have listened to what I was saying. I was in fact answering one of his colleagues about this giving us just one more senior minister and a ministerial limo. My response was that for Quebec to have a senior minister at the cabinet table able to speak to regional development for Quebec, and nowhere else, was of the utmost importance to Quebeckers.
That said, I never mentioned 59,000 public servants. If there are 59,000 additional public servants in Quebec, it is certainly not because of this bill. Yes, there are already 14 offices, but I have not asked for more. There was no reference in my speech to adding offices. Things are working very well as they are. My reference was strictly to a structural change, solely in order to have—and this is the innovative element here—a senior minister.
I am offended by their statement that we are trampling on their toes, because we never do such a thing. A reading of the Constitution will show there are a number of jurisdictions. This bill complies with the Constitution. We even made an effort during the clause-by-clause examination in committee to ensure that it was clearly stated that Quebec's jurisdiction would be respected.
Once again, the Bloc Québécois is being alarmist. There is, when it comes down to it, no encroachment here. The Bloc would like to take the money and pass it over to Quebec, when things are going very well.
As I said, large numbers of people throughout Quebec are extremely pleased that CED is present in Quebec, that it is working in partnership—not telling people what to do, but in partnership—with the commercial, economic and social stakeholders of Quebec.