Mr. Speaker, last fall, the Minister of Foreign Affairs sent a memo to diplomatic missions accredited with Canada, demanding that diplomats inform the department of any meeting with provincial ministers or officials, here and abroad.
In a democratic country such as Canada, it is totally unacceptable for the federal government to monitor contacts between officials representing foreign countries and those representing Quebec. Indeed, while our province is not named in the memo, it is obviously the one that is targeted.
How can the federal government justify such behaviour? Would the Liberals go so far as to take sanctions against countries that would not comply with their directive?
This form of intimidation is not to Canada's credit. Does Ottawa really believe that it will curb the legitimate aspirations of the people of Quebec and disturb the lucidity of the international community regarding the Quebec issue? If so, it is mistaken.