Mr. Speaker, Sunday night, on the television program "Soirée des masques" broadcast by the French network of the CBC, the Minister of Canadian Heritage told viewers that he liked theatre, in fact, he attended it regularly at the House of Commons.
I would like to remind the minister that the House of Commons is not like the Compagnons de Saint-Laurent. This is the real thing. When the Official Opposition asked for his resignation after he intervened with the CRTC, it was for real.
It is reprehensible that our heritage minister casts discredit on an institution such as Parliament with his inept jokes that amuse no one, implying that what goes on in this place has more to do with playacting than with real life.
Since the Minister of Canadian Heritage is unable to see the distinction between theatre and real life, he is unfit to serve as heritage minister, a position which entails the responsibility of ensuring the survival and development of the francophone and Acadian communities. Their circumstances are neither a tragedy, nor a farce, but a daily fight for the right to live in French.