Mr. Speaker, the recent Quebec referendum was like the proverbial Chinese two-sided coin. It created on the one side a feeling of deep anxiety and on the other it awakened a sense of national pride in all Canadians.
Even though the margin of victory was narrow, in the end we were all winners. It is better to work for change together within a united country than to negotiate bitterly as separate nations.
Quebecers showed faith in Canada by voting no. British Columbians rekindled their national pride and francophones in B.C. feel secure again in their heritage. It is time for the healing to begin.
The strength of our country, which is its respect for differences, must lead us forward together in a spirit of understanding and compromise.
Canada has set out to prove that a diverse and multicultural people with linguistic duality and varied heritage can live together in peace and tolerance.
The world looks to us for inspiration and hope. Flawed though it is, Canada is still the best country in the world in which to live.