Mr. Speaker, on the weekend in Drummondville, the Minister of Human Resources Development said quite bluntly that the French language and culture survived in Quebec thanks to the federal government, because Quebec, according to the minister, never invested a red cent in culture.
Apparently, these words were a clear indication of the minister's attitude. He lost his cool before the young Liberals.
If that is indeed the case, we have reason to be concerned about the minister's ability to keep his cool during the next election campaign.
The official opposition believes that the minister's remarks reflect this government's contempt for Quebec. The federal government feels superior to Quebec and sees Quebec culture as merely a regional phenomenon in Canada.
The Quebec Department of Culture was established on March 24, 1961, and it was a federalist, Liza Frulla, who reminded him of this. He is young yet, so there is still hope for improvement.