Mr. Speaker, if requested, I will file a statement from the public accounts of the Government of Quebec showing that the federal government still owes $47 million for this item. Furthermore, Senator Jean-Claude Rivest, a Liberal, who was Mr. Bourassa's principal advisor at the time, said yesterday that Prime Minister Mulroney had made such a commitment to Mr. Bourassa. I would remind the Prime Minister that he is less scrupulous than his Minister of Heritage, who on a mere rumour honoured a commitment made by some unknown person to allow an unacceptable transaction with Ginn Publishing to proceed.
Does the Prime Minister know that his refusal to reimburse will force Quebecers to pay twice for the referendum? Does he realize that the injustice is even more flagrant because the Charlottetown referendum dealt with a question formulated and presented by the federal authorities?