Mr. Speaker, before oral question period when my colleague started his speech he asked why we were debating this issue here, in the House of Commons, when this is a provincial responsibility. However, in his conclusion, he said the exact opposite.
Under pressure from the Bloc Québécois, the Liberal Party of Canada asked, before the last election, for the creation of a petroleum industry information bureau, which was a recommendation from the Standing Committee on Industry, Natural Resources, Science and Technology. This bureau has not been operational under the current government since the current Minister of Industry decided to put it on ice and think about it. That decision is not operational.
That is one of the reasons why we are taking this up today. Furthermore, we want to strengthen the Competition Act. There is nothing more federal than the Competition Act.
The hon. member's own government did indeed table amendments last fall, following hearings of the Standing Committee on Industry, Natural Resources, Science and Technology that I had asked for and were held before Parliament resumed sitting. Again, this is a federal jurisdiction.
The last point I want to make concerns the surtax on oil products. As far as I know, taxation can be federal or provincial. The hon. member's argument does not hold in any way.
In this case, the Liberals are hiding behind their inability to put in motion what was needed to act appropriately when they formed the government. Today, the public is calling for concrete measures to harness the sector. It is not a question of having a price regulation agency. It is a question of monitoring this industry, making recommendations to the House and being able to change things. The current fluctuations in price, this yo-yo game, have very negative effects on consumers and have significant consequences for industry.
For all these reasons, I would like my colleague to explain how he can justify that this was not a federal responsibility. We took our responsibilities in this matter. We are speaking on behalf of our constituents, of consumers, businesses, the manufacturing and transport sectors, of all those who want export to work in North America. Is that not reason enough for us to get support from this House?