Mr. Speaker, my view is that the Bloc Québécois made a really bad deal. I honestly believe, and I say this with all due respect, there was more on the table that it could have used its bargaining power to achieve. This is a missed opportunity not just for the Bloc but for all of us, because in this minority Parliament the three opposition parties have all the power. We have the bargaining leverage, but it was given away. All negotiations stopped the very moment the leader of the Bloc Québécois walked out of this room and, in front of the microphone and the cameras, said, “I support that budget”. Negotiations ended. Kyoto, good-bye.
We could have forced the Tories to accept Kyoto had the Bloc only held its ground and stayed tough. It did not for some reason. It is beyond me. I cannot see the benefit. At least when the NDP traded our support to prop up the Liberal Party, we held our noses and supported the Liberal Party but we traded it for $4.8 billion worth of spending.
Some people argue that the Liberals did not follow through with their promise, but in fact the Tories are fulfilling the promise the Liberals made by putting that money in trust to fulfill Bill C-48. We got something for our vote. The Bloc got nothing for its vote. It is like the Jack and the Beanstalk story, where we trade the family cow for three beans, none of which sprout.
I have a great deal of respect for my friend and colleague from the Bloc. Will he tell me, though, what did the Bloc get for this to sell out so early and to sell out on all of his opposition colleagues?