My mind is already made up on this bill, but seeing how the discussion has been evolving, I think it's important to remind people of something which is not a criticism, but rather an observation, and perhaps you will then have a better understanding of my fundamental option.
In the Canada that I dreamt of when I was young, I did not believe that the Supreme Court had a unifying role. I believed that, quite the contrary, it would recognize the two distinctive legal cultures—the civil law and the common law—and be able to apply them differently, when warranted. The evolution of two cultures, united and moving forward in parallel—sometimes in war, and at other times to attain certain goals—presupposes that they will continue to evolve in parallel fashion while remaining distinct one from the other: the civil law and the common law, and the social evolution of one compared to the other. I understand that you see the Supreme Court of Canada as a unifying institution. However, there is a fine line between a unifying and an assimilating role.
Furthermore, you do not understand that a significant segment of the legal profession in this country does not have access to the Supreme Court. Must I remind you that this was the case for Quebeckers? Since Confederation, no Quebecker has been eligible for an appointment to the Supreme Court of Canada without being perfectly bilingual and proficient in the two languages. You consider that to be terrible, and I recognize that. You are now starting to understand what Canada was, what we would like it to be and what I myself recognized at one point in my life, which was that the dream I had of Canada when I was young would never be realized; and thus I preferred that we remain good friends and cooperate in a whole host of areas, with each one remaining sovereign.