Mr. Speaker, I would like to start by congratulating you and telling you how relieved I am that you are in the chair. You are a diligent member of Parliament and a formidable opponent when asking or answering questions as a member. I am glad to see you in the chair because it will save us from having to go up against you as a colleague and adversary.
I also want to congratulate the new member for Bow River. I was very fond of his predecessor, my good friend Mr. Shields. I would ask my colleague to pass on my best regards at the earliest opportunity. It was a pleasure serving with him, particularly when it came to heritage matters. Mr. Shields and I both sat on the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage, and I really appreciated him as a colleague.
I listened to the speech by my new colleague from Bow River. He talked about the Alberta independence movement stemming from Albertans' dissatisfaction on a number of fronts. It is not for me to judge whether that feeling is justified. However, it got me wondering. The independence movement has existed in Quebec for decades, but it has not always been treated with the respect we think it deserved over the years.
As Alberta begins to consider independence, is it not time to have a serious discussion about the future of this country? Perhaps the various regions of Canada should reflect on the best way of tackling the future and its challenges. For our part, we believe that Quebec should be an independent nation. We have been saying that for a long time. What is happening in Alberta leads me to believe that all of Canada should be involved in this process of reflection.