Mr. Speaker, yesterday the voters of Brome-Missisquoi exercised their democratic right. For Bloc Quebecois militants, the result is much less disappointing than our political adversaries would like to think. Let it not be forgotten that in the vote on the Charlottetown accord, Brome-Missisquoi was one of the few ridings to vote in favour.
Yesterday the Bloc took 44.5 per cent of the vote, an increase of almost 4 per cent since the general election in October 1993.
The Bloc and its sovereignist option have gained in popularity. In the riding of Brome-Missisquoi, the real loser was the leader of the Conservative Party, with only 3 per cent of the vote.