Mr. Speaker, I would point out that this whole issue arose because the former Prime Minister, during the 2004 election, went to Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia and promised them something that was outside the equalization. He promised them that.
We said to him that he needed to keep his promise. Therefore, as the member said, he got busy and negotiated the Atlantic accord. It was outside the equalization formula.
Now we are honouring that. We are fully honouring the Atlantic accord. Those two provinces will have every single benefit of the Atlantic accord that was negotiated and the member knows that.
Under the new formula, a province can still exclude 100% of its non-renewable resources and have a payment based on that.
What the members are really arguing against is to have the same standard for everyone, so that provinces that do not receive equalization payments do not have a worse position to provide their citizens with services than provinces that do receive equalization.
If the members opposite want to stand up and argue against fairness, equality and the same standard for all Canadians, let them do that.
The fact of the matter is that this accord allowed that and we are respecting that. Going forward we are putting the equalization program on the basis of fairness, equality and the same standard for all. That is important to all Canadians across this country.