Mr. Speaker, I very much appreciate the question from my colleague from Rosemont—La Petite‑Patrie, who also proudly represents Quebec and knows what it means to be a Quebecker, as do the Bloc Québécois, Conservative and Liberal members. No one has any lessons to teach about Quebec nationalism or about being a Quebecker to anyone here in the House. I am sorry, but I do not take kindly to that.
On the issue of social licence, the member is absolutely right. That is why there were inquiries and consultations. Some people were in favour of the project, while others were against it. It is part of the public debate. It is always suspicious when everyone agrees on a particular topic. It is okay to have disagreements. We call that democracy. However, there comes a time when we have to choose, and our choice was based on the historical record.
We think that Chalk River's record over its 80 years of existence is acceptable. Of course we have to take people's concerns into account and respect them. We must not shove this project down their throats, but we must also allow them to benefit from this project, just as millions of people around the world have been able to benefit from the isotopes made here in Chalk River.