Madam Speaker, yesterday, February 14, I put a question to the Prime Minister. I reminded him that the tenors of the federal government keep on repeating, hoping to convince Quebecers, that we do not need to reform the constitution, since federalism is flexible and in constant flux.
Then, I said to the Prime Minister something like: "If you want to be taken seriously, why do you refuse to recognize Quebec 's jurisdiction, requested time and time again, in the area of manpower training". There is a consensus among all Quebec parties in this regard. A consensus to which even the president of the Conseil du patronat, a well known federalist, subscribes.
Not only Quebecers share that opinion. The president of the Canadian manufacturers' association said recently: "Why is it that the federal government does not let the provinces exercise this responsibility?" There are powerful economic arguments in favour of it. Manpower training has to be geared to the job market.
The Prime Minister, instead of answering my question, said-and I can repeat it, since it is on the public record-"I know very well that she would remain a separatist even if we resolved the workforce issue." Of course.
However, what I find disturbing-and I cannot help but say it here-is that the Prime Minister is basically saying that he could not care less about what happens to young people, women and all those who need this efficient manpower training, because it is managed by the manpower agency we, in Quebec, have set up and which is not a government body. It is made up of representatives from the private sector, labour unions, municipalities, and of course, a few representatives from the Quebec government. It is an institution which should be recognized, if only the federal government cared about all those Quebecers who need manpower training.
The fact is that even if the federal government agreed to it, I would still be a sovereignist. But I will tell you one thing, it is because there have been so many situations like this one that many people like me know now that there is only one option for Quebecers, and that is sovereignty.