Thank you, Madam Chair.
It's truly a pleasure for me to be here with my colleagues at today's meeting of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs.
My colleague Mr. Therrien spoke about what we in Quebec call National Patriots' Day which was celebrated on Monday. It's called Victoria Day in the other provinces, but we commemorate true patriots, and I always take pride in the distinction. I have nothing against Queen Victoria, who even played an important role in eventually, after five years, granting a pardon to our exiled patriots in Australia.
Quebec's patriots included merchants, notaries and doctors. These were educated and dedicated men who had been fighting for a democratic government. Their rebellions were not only in Lower Canada, but Upper Canada too, as you know.
These events were not spontaneous. At the time they occurred, there were British governors in the colonies. There was also a movement within Canadian society, more specifically in what was then called Lower Canada. Other colonies had been established in the meantime. Chèvrefils, Chénier, Nelson and others were demanding a form of justice and governance that met the needs of the citizens. Because they were still citizens of Great Britain who had rights, such as having representation and seats in Parliament, they were demanding the same rights here. Historians agree that reprisals against Quebec's patriots were much more severe, and some were even hanged.
Others were exiled to Australia, enduring a harrowing six-month trip to a prison colony in Longbottom. The British authorities rather than the Australians were at the time in charge of this colony, where the French Canadians were forced to do hard labour. When they realized that these men were educated, basically peaceful, and reasonable, they were gradually entrusted with administrative and even governance duties. In fact, the influence of these Canadians on Australia can still be seen to this day.
After five years in the colony, they were rather well off. They worked for merchants and for the government. They afterwards asked for a pardon and worked in order to pay for their trip home. Most of the Canadians finally returned to Quebec, although the governor had asked them to stay if they wanted, because he would have liked them to do so.
Joseph Marceau stayed, and he, along with his descendants, contributed to Australian democracy. An incredible account of this story was written by François-Maurice Lepailleur, one of the patriots who returned to Quebec from Australia.
Deke Richards made a documentary as a tribute to this democratic link between French Canadians and the creation of Australia's Parliament. As a result of these tragic events for the Canadians exiled in Australia, if you visit Canada Bay in Australia you can take a stroll along Chateauguay Walk. Here in Châteauguay, there's a museum dedicated to the history of the patriots. There is also a Marceau Road in Australia named after Mr. Marceau, who had 11 children in Australia and made a genuine contribution to Australian society. He played a an important role in Australia's history.
I mentioned all of that in order to talk about the principle of accountable government, which is central to our discussion today. How can we make sure that no matter what the situation may be, the government is always accountable to the people of Canada? When an emergency changes the circumstances, and if the economy, following an election, is no longer in the shape it was during the campaign, prorogation becomes a mechanism that allows the government to submit a new plan. It also enables parliamentarians, who represent all Canadians, to say whether they have confidence in the government.
As I mentioned already, I'm an amateur historian and I completed my first bachelor's degree in Quebec history at the Université du Québec à Chicoutimi in the 1970s. It was a rather turbulent period in Quebec's history, but our professors taught us that history is not always made up exclusively of major events and great men. I learned that it was not always the men in charge who masterminded key historical events, but rather the men and women who, on an everyday basis, generated activity and vigour in all sectors of society. They are also the people who decide whether or not it is legitimate to be governed by these great men and women.
Queen Victoria reigned over the British Empire. Before her, there was Queen Elizabeth I. Today, it's Queen Elizabeth II. It's interesting to note that women were on the throne during the greatest periods of the British Empire. However, that's something for another day, and perhaps even another committee.
I'd like to get back now to the prorogation mechanism contained in the April motion. The motion seeks to determine why the government decided to prorogue Parliament in August 2020. It's not the first time I've mentioned this motion. There is nothing the matter with looking into the government's reasoning, and it is in fact worth doing.
In the past, governments in power have sometimes been asked why they prorogued Parliament. Was it really because the circumstances under which they were governing had changed? Was it for economic or public safety reasons, a pandemic, or some other important reason, or was it rather for purely partisan reasons?
That's why the government, from the moment it took power, introduced a mechanism…