Mr. Speaker, the difference between the Leader of the Opposition and the Prime Minister of Canada is that the Prime Minister accepted the results of the referendum.
We heard the Leader of the Opposition say on the night of the referendum that he accepted the people's decision. I hope that when he arrives in Quebec City very shortly, he will listen to his own ministers, including Serge Ménard who said Wednesday, and I quote: "It seems sensible to have only one referendum. This effort to reach a consensus, which is the whole point of a referendum, means we must consult before imposing. We will have to wait until the next election when we will tell them what our plans are. We must deal with the problems of Quebecers, get our public finances back into shape and govern".
Mr. Speaker, we also heard comments from the Minister of Justice in Mr. Bouchard's new government, who said, and I quote: "You do not have a referendum because you lost the first one and you think you will have a better result three weeks later". That shows respect for the democratic system.