House of Commons Hansard #55 of the 36th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was mail.

Topics

Point Of OrderOral Question Period

3:15 p.m.

Some hon. members

No.

Point Of OrderOral Question Period

3:15 p.m.

Bloc

René Laurin Bloc Joliette, QC

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the big guns of the Quebec civil society protested the federal legislation on referendum conditions while the Liberals again tried to limit the debate on this subject.

Here is an excerpt of an article that was published in the February 22 issue of La Presse under the title “A Motion to Limit Debate”. As this article may enlighten the House during the debate, I am asking for unanimous consent to table it.

Point Of OrderOral Question Period

3:15 p.m.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. McClelland)

Is there unanimous consent for the tabling of this document?

Point Of OrderOral Question Period

3:15 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

Point Of OrderOral Question Period

3:15 p.m.

Some hon. members

No.

Point Of OrderOral Question Period

3:15 p.m.

Reform

Ken Epp Reform Elk Island, AB

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. In a move of sanguinity and of providing some accommodation to the goal of Bloc members, I wonder if we could give them unanimous consent to table any documents they have in hand right now, provided they are ready to table them in both official languages. Let us give them approval. I ask for unanimous consent in that regard.

Point Of OrderOral Question Period

3:15 p.m.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. McClelland)

The hon. member for Elk Island has asked for the unanimous consent of the House so that the members of the Bloc Quebecois be permitted to table their documents in both official languages now.

Is there unanimous consent of the House?

Point Of OrderOral Question Period

3:15 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

Point Of OrderOral Question Period

3:15 p.m.

Some hon. members

No.

Point Of OrderOral Question Period

3:15 p.m.

Bloc

Paul Crête Bloc Kamouraska—Rivière-Du-Loup—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC

Mr. Speaker, I ask for the unanimous consent of the House to table a newspaper article published in Le Soleil under the title “Claude Ryan Condemns Stéphane Dion's Bill”.

“The bill on referendum conditions was prompted merely by fear and mistrust”, said Mr. Ryan, who testified yesterday before the legislative committee reviewing Bill C-20. The article adds that “Claude Ryan lambasted the referendum conditions bill”.

I hope the House will grant unanimous consent so that all the members of the Liberal majority can be apprised of this document written by a former leader of the Quebec Liberal Party.

Point Of OrderOral Question Period

3:15 p.m.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. McClelland)

Is there unanimous consent?

Point Of OrderOral Question Period

3:15 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

Point Of OrderOral Question Period

3:15 p.m.

Some hon. members

No.

Point Of OrderOral Question Period

3:15 p.m.

Bloc

Christiane Gagnon Bloc Québec, QC

Mr. Speaker, further to the introduction by the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs of a bill that denies the fundamental rights of Quebecers, I am asking for the unanimous consent of the House to table a document that will enlighten it.

It is an article entitled “A Government under Trusteeship”, which was published in La Presse , and I quote:

Abusive and ill advised, the clarity bill perpetuates the confrontation between Ottawa and Quebec City and, should it ever become law, would mean that the National Assembly would be under trusteeship.

This stern assessment of the Dion bill does not come from a witness invited to the House of Commons by the Bloc Quebecois, but from a staunch federalist, the former leader of the Quebec Liberal Party and former leader of the no campaign during the 1980 referendum, Claude Ryan.

In the midst of all the predictable testimonies for and against Bill C-20 heard in Ottawa since Wednesday, Mr. Ryan gave a jolt to the legislative committee. The Conservative party, which is against the bill (and had invited Mr. Ryan), was the only one to come out of the hearings unscathed.

Point Of OrderOral Question Period

3:20 p.m.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. McClelland)

Is there unanimous consent?

Point Of OrderOral Question Period

3:20 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

Point Of OrderOral Question Period

3:20 p.m.

Some hon. members

No.

Point Of OrderOral Question Period

3:20 p.m.

Bloc

Yves Rocheleau Bloc Trois-Rivières, QC

Mr. Speaker, following the introduction by the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs of a bill denying the fundamental rights of Quebecers, I ask for the unanimous consent of the House to table this document, which will no doubt enlighten it.

It is an article from the February 18 issue of Le Devoir entitled “Clarity Bill”.

Point Of OrderOral Question Period

3:20 p.m.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. McClelland)

Is there unanimous consent?

Point Of OrderOral Question Period

3:20 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

Point Of OrderOral Question Period

3:20 p.m.

Some hon. members

No.

Point Of OrderOral Question Period

3:20 p.m.

Bloc

Pierrette Venne Bloc Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, QC

Mr. Speaker, I have here an excerpt from a brief submitted to the parliamentary committee on Bill 99 by the Regroupement des résolument souverainistes. It states:

Whereas English control of the French nation in Canada and of its territory began, in peace time, on June 3, 1755, with a criminal sneak attack on Fort Beauséjour; there followed the unprecedented ethnic cleansing of all Acadians, who had lived peacefully on Canadian territory for more than two generations and were hunted down, exiled, forced into slavery and a great many of whom were victims of an unspeakable racist genocide;

Further to the introduction, by the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, of a bill denying the fundamental rights of Quebecers, I ask for the unanimous consent of the House to table the entire document, which will enlighten it.

Point Of OrderOral Question Period

3:20 p.m.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. McClelland)

Is there unanimous consent?

Point Of OrderOral Question Period

3:20 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

Point Of OrderOral Question Period

3:20 p.m.

Some hon. members

No.