Mr. Speaker, I must say that I am a bit surprised to see how much the Liberals have digressed from the issue since this debate began. Of course, the Conservatives have as well, but we expected that, because they are going to vote against the Bloc Québécois motion. What is surprising is that the Liberals are going to support the motion, yet they are talking about things that have nothing to do with the issue before us today.
In the case of the member for Scarborough Centre, it is even more pathetic. He raised a point of order a bit earlier today because members were going off topic. Yet he just asked a question that has nothing to do with the motion before us.
I am going to talk about this motion, because it is crucial and very important to Quebec. I would like to draw the attention of the House to a motion adopted unanimously by the National Assembly of Quebec—our National Assembly of Quebec—on March 31, 2009, not so very long ago. I will not read the entire motion, because unfortunately, I do not have time. I will just read the last paragraph.
Be it resolved that the National Assembly ask the Federal Government to treat Québec justly and equitably, by granting compensation that is comparable to that offered to Ontario for the harmonization of its sales tax with the GST, which would represent an amount of 2.6 billion dollars for Québec.
I would like to remind this House that this unanimous resolution by the National Assembly was not proposed, defended and adopted by the Bloc Québécois alone. The Minister of Public Works and Government Services says he will not negotiate or talk with the Bloc Québécois. The Bloc Québécois represents unanimous positions in Quebec.
There were two sovereignist parties that supported this resolution. There was Ms. Pauline Marois and the members of the Parti Québecois and also the member of Québec Solidaire, who know very well that sovereignty is the only solution to the ongoing constitutional wrangling. So they obviously supported it. But it was not only sovereignists—those the evil “separatists”, with for or five s's at the end, that we sometimes hear about in this House—who supported it. It is not just the sovereignists who are calling for this. There are two federalist parties—well, we are not sure what one of them stands for. There is the premier of Quebec, Jean Charest, who can definitely not be accused of being a sovereignist. He was once a member of a Conservative government. He is a good friend of Paul Desmarais and company and a strong federalist. He supported this resolution. Not only did he vote in favour of it but he supported the initiative of his then finance minister, also a federalist. Therefore, it is not a Bloc Québécois fantasy. There is clearly a consensus in Quebec.
What does this consensus say? First, we want to continue administering our own sales tax. If it must be harmonized, administration of this tax by the federal government is clearly out of the question. The opposite should prevail, as is presently the case. The federal government should allow the Government of Quebec to administer the tax, in return for appropriate compensation. That is the most logical thing to do and that is what is being done already.
Second, in the interest of equity and justice, compensation must be provided on the same basis as it has been to the other provinces. In addition, a quarter of this compensation from the federal government is paid by Quebec taxpayers. Thus, we are not to be treated any differently.
The motion before us speaks to all this. I found it unfortunate that the Conservative Party attempted, unsuccessfully, to propose an amendment to the motion that would delete the second part. This second part calls on the government to “provide $2.6 billion in compensation to Quebec for this harmonization, and that Quebec continue to administer these harmonized taxes.” This amendment would have weakened the motion, the consensus of the National Assembly and Quebec. Who moved this motion? Was it a member from Ontario, a province that will be receiving $4.6 billion in compensation, which Quebec has not received?
Was it a member from the Maritimes? Was it a member from the west? No, it was a member from Quebec who rose in this House to undermine Quebec.
It makes me sick to my stomach, as a Quebecker, to see such a thing in this House. The member could have simply toed the party line and rose in this House when it was time to vote. But, no; instead, he acted as their puppet and rose in this House to undermine Quebec.
He did the same thing that the Liberals did with the budget. Some members from Newfoundland, if I am not mistaken, or from somewhere in the Atlantic region, were permitted not to support it. They were told they could vote against the budget because their ridings were being fleeced. However, even though everyone knew that the budget was bad for Quebec, the members from Quebec had to be good little soldiers and fall in line behind the Liberal Party leader. They had to betray Quebec.
That is why I am very happy to be a member of the Bloc Québécois. At least when I come here to work and I rise in this House, I never have to betray my own people. My only loyalty is always to Quebec, and I can always be proud to be here, to stand up and have the honour to defend the interests of Quebeckers.