Mr. Speaker, the Government of Quebec has represented the Quebec people in certain international forums for a long time now. Ottawa, however, tried to take advantage of the visit by the Secretary-General of la Francophonie to again challenge the rights of Quebec. The former French minister Alain Peyrefitte has described these as “historically recognized rights”.
The excuse given by the Foreign Affairs protocol office had to do with VIP security, as if Quebec were not capable of ensuring this. Knowing as we do that for the federal government the word “security” is often synonymous with “repression of freedom of expression”, this demonstrates its total disdain toward Quebec.
In its unflagging efforts to isolate Quebec and to nibble away at its independence, Ottawa is proving that it is turning its back on the profound aspirations of the Quebec people. That disdain will be short-lived, however, for the Quebec people will soon be opting, clearly opting, for sovereignty.