Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to once again talk on term 17.
I would like go back to my colleague for Burin-St. George's who spoke in the House earlier today. He made the assertion that any difference of opinion on term 17 was driven by partisan interest. I want to assure my friend that he is someone I continue to hold in high respect and regard. He has been a tremendous supporter of mine over the last nine years. However, I believe that the member is really not accurate when he states that our motives for being involved and having a point of view on this issue are not grounded in the best of intentions.
Back in June when this resolution was debated, certain members of the House opposed the constitutional amendment that was before the House. We were very sensitive to the fact but we recognized that the educational system in Newfoundland needed reform and modernization. No attempt was made to interfere with the management of the educational system.
Having said that, a constitutional amendment cannot be put to the House without some examination, without some discussion and debate. If we feel that there are some genuine concerns, as the member for Lincoln has so eloquently expressed, then it is our duty and responsibility to stand in the House and flag these concerns and put them forward to the House. Ultimately precedents that are set in this Chamber on constitutional amendments will have a profound effect for other provinces in the country.
As the member for Lincoln has just said, he has deep concerns about the fact that the reasons for the Bloc supporting this en masse last June were that they were setting the terrain under a referendum condition where if they were looking for constitutional amendment that the amendment in Newfoundland would be a terrific precedent. How can we rubber stamp something in Newfoundland and have a difference in Quebec?
There is something else that is really important of which members of the House and the people of Canada should be aware and that is what has happened in the Senate over the last four months. Without exception most bills that the House of Commons has put to the Senate have been supported in a timely fashion, in a constructive way. We could count on our hands the number of bills which have come back to the House for amendment over the last three years.
There has to be some concern, some heads up, when we have an amendment to term 17 that is supported by a majority of the Senators. When the speeches that were given on this issue in the Senate are analysed, it is interesting to read some of the remarks that some of the Senators who have great constitutional experience and credibility have tabled in the other chamber.
I would like to refer specifically to Senator Kirby who gave a speech in the other chamber on November 7. It is important when members read Senator Kirby's remarks that they realize the experience and background of this Senator. This Senator was the most senior public servant constitutional adviser for the then minister of justice who campaigned coast to coast, and even in Westminster, for the repatriation of the Constitution.
This is the Senator, who was the most senior adviser, who spent literally thousands and thousands of hours along with expert lawyers from the Department of Justice and other expert lawyers across Canada to make sure that the Constitution was crafted in a way that would ultimately be accepted by this chamber. Having Senator Kirby weigh in on this issue so profoundly is something this Chamber cannot ignore. His experience, respect and sensitivity were brought to bear on this issue such that the entire membership of the other Chamber gave him extended time so that his remarks could be fully recorded.