Mr. Speaker, I commend the committee for having thought about a new prayer. It seems to me that the traditional one was old-fashioned and had to be updated, since nowadays members of this House practice different religions.
However, I am surprised and I personally disagree with a specific part of the prayer, but as a member of my caucus, I will go along with the majority's wishes. What I disagree with is the reference to Her Most Gracious Majesty.
When I am sitting in the House, I am very surprised to see all the members from the other parties stand up and very loudly express their pride in being Canadian. Yet, as soon as there is a symbol that would reflect this pride in being Canadian, what do we do? We use the Queen of England. We do not say the government speech, but the throne speech. We do not have a typical Canadian signing a bill, we have royal assent. We always use the symbol of Great Britain. Are we a colonized people? Or are we an independent country? That is the problem that I have with this prayer.
It is ironic that a member from the Bloc Quebecois would have to remind the others parties in the House that they are Canadian. They are not a colony of England, they are Canadian. In fact, all the symbols that they have as Canadians often come from the French reality.
We have sung Ô Canada in French for one hundred years, while you were singing God Save the Queen . After a hundred years, you started to sing it too, in English, and you made it the national anthem. We asked for a flag for 50 years, but you preferred the red ensign. We wanted Canadian symbols, because we were of French descent.
I am often told: You are more committed to the Quebec flag than to the Canadian flag. Of course I am, because ever since the 1950s, we have identified with that flag, we did not have any other. Everywhere we looked we saw the British flag.
I am surprised that at a time when you have the opportunity to declare yourself Canadian, at a time where you could choose a Canadian symbol for the prayer which starts the day in this House, you decide to beseech the Queen of England. I cannot understand-