Mr. Speaker, I listened with interest to the sober speech made by the hon. member for Erie—Lincoln.
The member showed some foresight in dealing with many of the issues at stake. However, as you know, I am more interested in certain points than in others. Sometimes, that foresight was lacking or not so sharp. I am referring in particular to his statement that Quebec is part of the so-called Canadian heritage.
Let me quickly go back in time and remind you that Quebec City was founded some 400 years ago. Canada, on the other hand, is 130 years old. Quebec City helped promote a nascent culture that blossomed through its contacts with many aboriginal nations. To be sure, the Conquest, 150 years later, enriched the culture of the people who were already there and who were already considering themselves a people.
I will conclude by saying that the anglophone ocean now surrounding us continues to try to assimilate us, not realizing that we are a real people. There are 7 million people in Quebec, 85 percent of whom are francophones. Ours is a pluralistic society. What does the hon. member think of this?