Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure as a young member of Parliament from Newfoundland to participate in the discussion on the amendment to term 17. I would like to emphasize a couple of points.
While we speak of the amendment to term 17 in the House, we are also speaking to all the Canadian public. We do so through the televised debates in the Chamber.
I will be sharing my time with the hon. member for Lac-Saint-Louis.
There are certain points which the hon. member opposite raised which cannot go unchallenged. It would be unfair not to challenge them.
It was suggested that the francophone community of my province of Newfoundland and Labrador enjoys second class status, that it has accepted second class status, as alleged by the hon. member. He alleges that it is content with that position. I am here to report to the House of Commons this afternoon that the francophone community of Newfoundland and Labrador is very much alive, vibrant and very assertive about its position in our society. It has done so with great power, great conviction and great pride.
I am proud to report to the House this afternoon that the francophone community will be participating in the school board process. It will enjoy the privileges and rights of its own school board. That is something which is very specific and unique to the francophone community. It is in celebration of the fact that it has a very special culture, a very special language which deserves recognition within the policy of school board governance.
The francophone community also enjoys its own newspaper. In the riding of the hon. member for Burin—St. George's there is a francophone community that flourishes. It is very much alive. It is not second class to anyone, as suggested by the hon. member opposite. It is very much alive and very proud. They are very much willing to participate in strengthening their culture. I salute the francophone community of Newfoundland and Labrador.
The current debate is on the amendment to term 17. In this House we enjoy certain privileges, one being the privilege of debate. I am proud that the privilege of debate was extended to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador in this argument.
A referendum was held in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador and it has been stated on several occasions that the debate was very clear, the referendum was very clear. The conclusion of the referendum was a change was requested by the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.
We have a situation where we are going to change the school system of my province to what the wishes of the people are. I am pleased to continue with this particular debate among my colleagues in this House and in the other place so that we can ensure speedy passage, a thorough thoughtful passage, because that is exactly what the people of Newfoundland and Labrador want us to do.
Saying that the other place has no part in this debate I think is fundamentally wrong. Our Constitution recognizes the other place, recognizes its existence. Therefore a unilateral decision to say that we should not join in discussion with the other place is wrong. It is important that we take into consideration all parliamentarians' points of views. In saying that, I take into consideration some great members of the other place.
I speak of none other than the hon. Jack Marshall, a member of the other place who very much protected the rights, privileges and responsibilities of all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. He was an outspoken advocate of the rights of veterans and did a very good job. I am not prepared to say that his role was in the least bit insignificant. Quite frankly it was very significant. The people in my riding as well as those in the riding of Burin—St. George's understand that. I am sure if he were still a member of the other place he would be anxious to join in this debate and would provide a fruitful discussion and would add considerably to the context.
As a Newfoundlander educated in the very school system that we now debate, and as a Roman Catholic educated in the system that we now debate, I support the change. I support the amendments fully. I think it is time Newfoundland and Labrador be the recipient of a modern education system in line with the wishes of the people.
I feel strongly that this is about the protection of rights. I feel strongly that all citizens of Newfoundland and Labrador should be afforded all those protections. I will give a specific example.
In my province there are approximately 1,100 to 1,200 communities. Every community has a school. Not every community has 20 schools representing all the major religions that are vested within the province but all communities have at least one school. Some have three. Some communities with small population levels have a number of schools.
Where a denominational right exists, if you are a member of that community but you are not a member of the denomination which holds the school in the community, under the current system that we are suggesting we should amend you will be instructed in a religious denomination which is not your own faith. I have been through that system and I have seen young men and women of other religions, future leaders of our country, instructed in a faith not of their choice. It is not because of anything we are doing in the House today, but because of the old system. That is exactly what happened.
If you happen to be a member of the United faith or the Pentecostal faith in a community which only had a Catholic church, then you were either instructed in Catholicism or you did not go to school. That quite frankly is not befitting of a modern day society.
Religious instruction will be entrenched. There will be religious instruction for those who wish to participate. That is a fundamental right. What will also be fundamentally guaranteed is that those who do not want to be instructed in a religious faith not of their choice will not have to be subjected to that. From the point of view of this House that is a very important consideration.
Part of a modern democracy is making sure that in the case of a community where the majority is of one particular faith, that for some reason the minority is not required that they get either no education whatsoever or religious instruction in a faith not of their choice. That is just a simple point I would like to add to the debate.
As someone who grew up in the system, someone who believes in the need for change and will be supporting it strongly, I encourage members opposite to think once again about the constitutional provisions that provide for debate by the Senate, to support this change and to do so in an expeditious fashion.