Mr. Speaker, I am happy that the leader of the Reform Party, the leader of the official opposition, and also the Bloc Quebecois agree with the government to support the amendment.
I would like to comment on what the hon. member said on three points. What the Government of Canada is saying is that there should always be a balance between the extent of a change and the extent of the support it receives. In the case of a relatively moderate change, as with the first referendum on term 17, the majority need not be as great as in the case of a much more extensive change affecting minorities, as we have here. So these are the things that should be balanced.
Second, I have invented nothing as Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs. The issue of minorities has always been on the table. It is being raised in Newfoundland, it was raised during the first amendment and it is being raised with the second amendment.
Members and senators voted against the first amendment. The Senate itself voted against it because of this issue of minority rights. The Government of Newfoundland, in the brief it presented on November 18, 1997, deals with the issue of majorities and minorities, of the rights of minorities and also of the support of minorities. This is an issue that is unavoidable. If it had been clearly demonstrated to us that the Pentecostal Church was for the amendment, there would have been much less debate and difficulty. If it had been clearly demonstrated to us that they rejected it outright, there would have been much more debate and greater difficulties.
So this issue is before us. And since it is my role to ask a question to the member, I ask him this: Does he believe that democracy is tyranny by the majority?