Mr. Speaker, I am a little remiss in not thanking former MP Martin Shields for all his support and the duty and the service that he gave in the seat that I now occupy. I will pass on the wishes from the member.
Let me be clear: I want a strong and united Canada. Albertans want a strong and united Canada. However, unity is not something that can be enforced from the top down; it has to be earned through respect, fairness and equal treatment. Right now, Alberta is not feeling much of that and is not seeing much of that.
This House has the opportunity to forge a nation and bring it all together to show all the provinces what the promise of Canada is. If this House wants national unity, then it starts by giving western Canadians a reason to believe in that again.