Mr. Speaker, the Quebec sovereignty issue is again at the centre of debate.
In the 1980 referendum campaign, Prime Minister Trudeau said that a "no" to the referendum meant a "yes" to renewed federalism. We know the rest: exclusion of Quebec from the Canadian Constitution, failure of Meech Lake, failure of Charlottetown.
This time, federalist leaders promise a "flexible federalism", at the same time we learn that the federal government refuses to pay $282 million in transfer payments owed to the Quebec Treasury.
The rest of Canada no longer wants to hear about the legitimate demands of Quebec. As for Quebecers, they have had enough of the status quo. The positions are clear. Why the false pretences? Quebecers will soon have to choose between sovereignty and fossilized federalism. We are confident of the outcome.