I just love this way of doing things!
I salute you, Mr. Chair.
It's not easy to pursue a discussion that should technically be followed by questions and answers. This is a one-way conversation and we are listening to ourselves talk a lot. I have taken notes and I want to use the next few minutes to say what I have to say.
First of all, my dear members of the governing party, my hat is off to you and I salute you. You deserve a medal. I am amazed at your ability to keep talking for so long. I will know whom to ask for help when I have no time limit.
I also understood your heartfelt appeals. I have also come a long way. You may not have headaches, but it is now 5:18 p.m. and this meeting started at 11:00 a.m. In my view, it could easily have lasted only two hours. Indeed, one speaking round, when one has time to reflect, to present the content and reasonable grounds to ultimately end up democratically... We hear the word “consensus” a lot. We're part of a democratic federation, so democracy must prevail.
I'd like to take a moment to dismiss some comments made by members of the government party; I didn't hear what other members had to say. Then I will present my conclusions.
I heard someone say that we have a right to the truth and that accountability is important. I have heard a lot about transparency. I will not say all of your names, because you know who you are. I also heard someone else say that they wanted facts. I heard that we need to move forward and that we can let this go. I heard the words “consensus” and “democracy”. Consensus, which comes from the heart and via a majority, and democracy, which must decide. It was quite impressive.
First of all, despite your rhetorical skills, I noticed that you were walking on eggshells. I also had to give speeches in my line of work. Maybe it's because we have been here for several hours. We keep saying that it is now 5:00 p.m., but we have actually been talking about this for 31 hours.
We heard the words “victory”, “facts”, “accountability”, “truth”. In our lives, when we know something or we feel we smell a rat, we can react in either of two ways: we can dare to face it down, or we can avoid it at all costs. We must not avoid it in this case. I commend all the work, energy, money and time we have devoted to this issue to bring us to this point today.
I'd also like to clarify some comments that will be reported in the “blues”.
People are saying that we need to move on and deal with the things that matter, and I could not agree with them more. We like to say that we heard this or that, but some beg to differ. The riding of Hull—Aylmer is my second home, and my neighbours are asking me to explain to them what is going on, and at least to finish what we started. These are Quebeckers, people I see in the street. I may see you in the street, Mr. Fergus.
I'm often told that parliamentarians play partisan politics. If anyone here is focused on one interest only, and it's clearly not power, it's the members of the Bloc Québécois. We look out for Quebeckers' interests. I represent Quebeckers, I cannot hide that. Every time I hear that people are playing politics, I don't feel it's directed at me. Anyway, it goes around in circles. We blame things on others, we obstruct, we find ways, we try to find a rule that has been around for so many years that, technically, it should have an expiry date. It's hard to keep up with it all.
Given everything that has been said, including that politics is the art of the possible, I offer what is possible. With everything I have said so far, the facts, the traps we set and the things we try to hide, I have to see this through to the end. In any case, the proposal has been accepted. We have to pass the motion as amended and proceed democratically.
Mr. Chair, it is 5:24 p.m. and you have three minutes left. We can wrap this up, now that the sun has set.
Thank you.