Madam Speaker, on November 7, the Prime Minister announced that a ministerial committee had been set up to review the whole question of constitutional and administrative changes to the Canadian federation. It is strange though to set up such a committee, whose mandate and schedule remains unknown, even as we speak.
It is strange also that this committee is made up only of federal ministers, when everyone knows full well that the real decision makers in that regard are the provincial premiers. I for one believe that this committee was struck just for the Prime Minister's satisfaction, to give him something to say, or else to distract momentarily from the poor performance during the referendum.
How can this committee have any credibility when some of its members have gone out of their way to trample on Quebec. What can be said about the Minister of Justice, who was looking for legal means to prevent Quebecers from voting again on their future? And what about the fisheries minister who invited thousands of Canadians to act in violation of the Referendum Act? What about the Minister of Canadian Heritage who will not recognize that Quebecers are a nation? What about the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration who, when he was a member of the opposition in this House, voted against a government proposal which recognized, among other things, the distinct society in the Meech Lake Accord?
And what about the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs who, when answering the question I put to him on November 8 about the mandate of the committee, simply said, and I quote: "Our committee will also look at non constitutional measures, so as to not overlook any means to make our federation more effective"?
Yet, by giving such an answer, the minister admits his helplessness. The measures which will be considered are non constitutional measures. How can such measures come up to the expectations of the Quebecers? Again, it is a committee established to do away with the legitimate expectations of the Quebecers.