Mr. Speaker, my understanding is that the Quebec government has the ability to legislate whatever changes it wants in the administration of the schools to allow for linguistic guarantees and so on. Section 93 of the Constitution Act would not impair that ability whatsoever. In my view the key issue is who is going to be responsible for educating our children.
This whole debate reminds me so much of the debate on the Newfoundland schools act. The question there was again who is going to define the kinds of schools that I send my children to. It comes back down to my way of thinking as an attempt by the provincial governments in both cases to gain ultimate control over their school systems so they can define clearly what is taught and how it will be taught.
It is clear that those school boards have difficulty accepting the notion that some parents may want to educate their children based on certain religious principles. I think that is wrong. Education of children ultimately lies with the parents. It should be their choice on the types of schools their children attend. We should be broadening the notion of access to different types of schools rather than restricting it.
We are much more of a multicultural nation than we were have been in years gone by. Our school systems should reflect that. Our school systems should teach the fact that Canada is a great place to live, that we are a tolerant nation and that we can be that by still subscribing to the basic religious beliefs we have. Those religious beliefs should not be undermined at all by the school systems to which we send our children.
Clearly to me the issue is who is going to control the education for our children and what guarantees are there that I am going to have or that the people of Quebec in this instance are going to have to educate their children in the religious schools that they have been guaranteed since Confederation in 1867.