Mr. Speaker, I agree with some of the hon. member's comments but certainly not with all of them. First, the hon. member claims to be the champion of regions in Canada. He said a few moments ago that his party and himself are protecting the interests-these are his exact words-the interests of Quebec and those of the other provinces.
Should he be reminded that the premier of Alberta, for example, wants the Senate not only to be maintained but to be even more powerful? How can the hon. member suggest abolishing an institution which some premiers want not only to keep but to strengthen?
Second, as for the French-speaking senators from outside Quebec, well, the hon. member does not seem to be very well informed. At this very moment, Senator Eymard Corbin is on the official languages committee, defending the interests of francophones outside Quebec. It is not the first time that Senator Corbin has defended the interests of French-speaking minori-
ties. Furthermore, he is a former chairman of the Assemblée internationale des parlementaires de langue française and he played many other roles.
The hon. member opposite may not have been here for long, but he should take a little look at the background of our French-speaking parliamentarians from outside Quebec. The late Senator Bélisle was Mayor of Sudbury and a minister in the Ontario Legislature before being called to the Senate. Did the hon. member forget the history of Senator Bélisle, one of the two francophones outside Quebec to have been in municipal, provincial and federal government? The other one is me.