Mr. Speaker, first, I will deal with part of the hon. member's opening remarks, when he talked about the statement by the Leader of the Opposition, which was made in 1988, that is, well after the start of the Meech Lake accord debate.
Here is a quote that indicates the transparency of his statements now. When Mr. Bouchard, when the Leader of the Opposition, pardon me, spoke on Wednesday, he spoke in French and English. In French, he said: "Alliances-thanks but no thanks". A total refusal. In English, he said: "I am deeply committed to this partnership". So, once again, when opening remarks are used to deliver messages, they should not be based on the misleading appearances created.
As regards the rally currently going on in Montreal, we must remember that Canadians and Quebecers are equally proud of demonstrating their patriotism in Montreal and are doing so on their own initiative. The federal government did not organize the gathering. It was born of a desire by Canadians, inside and outside Quebec, to express their pride in Canada, and the federal govern-
ment is not paying their way. On the contrary, a Treasury Board directive provides that, if they go, they must take leave to do so.