Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned earlier, I was part of a cabinet that negotiated the offshore accord. The member for Halifax West, the minister of fisheries at that time, was integrally involved in the negotiation of that accord.
One of the reasons it was a difficult accord to negotiate through the Department of Finance was that it did exist above and beyond any equalization agreement. It separated the offshore revenue from consideration under the equalization deal. That was part of the accord. That is why it was such an extraordinary achievement for Atlantic Canadians. That is why the hon. member campaigned in the last two elections to extend that accord, to support that accord.
The fact is the member has to answer to his constituents why his government changed its mind, why his Prime Minister decided to turn his back on the people of Nova Scotia and decided to play their interests against the interests of Ontarians, against the interests of other parts of Canada.
A budget is supposed to try to unite Canadians; it is not supposed to divide Canadians. This is the most divisive budget in the history of Canada. This is a budget that hurts Atlantic Canadians. It is a budget that tells have not provinces, “You are going to continue to be in that position for the foreseeable future because we do not believe you deserve to have the opportunity to stand on your feet and to succeed and build your economies with the offshore revenue that we promised in the last election”. That is the Conservative position on this.