Madam Speaker, if we could erase the last 130 years and if the hon. member for Edmonton Southwest were to ask his question, we would probably say: "Yes, he is probably right". We could experiment and try to see if Canada, with its English-speaking majority, and Quebec, with its French-speaking majority, can live in harmony at the economic, social and other levels.
The reality is that history cannot be erased. For a great many years, Quebecers have felt constrained in this country. Their English-Canadian partners have never been as open to them as they would have liked. So much so that Canada is even unable to accept the concept of distinct society, to recognize that Quebec and Quebecers are different. They tried to sell this reality by using another phrase: "principal homeland".
If Canada cannot accept Quebec as a distinct society, how can Quebecers trust the federal government to ensure their survival, their social, economic and cultural development?