Madam Speaker, I welcome this opportunity to speak to this bill, not so much because it is back on the agenda but because I get a chance to clarify the situation once again.
Bill C-6 is the resurrection of Bill C-54. The purpose of this bill is to implement legislation to protect personal information at the federal level, when similar legislation already exists in Quebec. This bill will enable the federal government to interfere in a provincial jurisdiction in spite of the fact that Quebec already has a legislation protecting all personal information. This seems to me to be a rather absurd situation.
I would like to quote from a letter to industry minister John Manley and signed by Denis Marsolais, the president of the Chambre des notaires du Québec, copy of which was sent to us by this organization. It reads as follows:
We submit that overlapping systems will cause undue misunderstandings and complications both for consumers and organizations subjected to two sets of regulations dealing with a single matter.
This is not a separatist speaking, but the president of the Chambre des notaires du Québec. I point this out to the previous speaker, who said that it is not surprising to see the Bloc Quebecois take this standpoint. The Bloc Quebecois is not the only one to take this standpoint; there is a consensus throughout Quebec.
The president of the Chambre des notaires also stated:
Even more disturbing is part 2 of the bill. Clause 38 recognizes the validity of electronic versions of notarial acts in Quebec which are referred to in a federal law, not only if they are recognized as such under the laws of the province of Quebec but also if they are listed in one of the schedules of the legislation. These schedules would be maintained by the minister, an agency or anyone given the authority to modify them. For all these reasons and many more—
This implies that not all the reasons were listed.
—we believe—
This is the president of the Chambre des notaires du Québec speaking, not a separatist member of Parliament, as my colleague opposite would have you believed. The president of the Chambre des notaires du Québec represents all the notaries in Quebec. This point of view is shared by all Quebecers, all interested parties, not only the sovereignists, not only the separatists, but even the federalists in Quebec. Everyone in Quebec knows that, for five years now, we have had an act to protect personal information, not only in the government but also in the private sector.
The amendments we have put forward only try to ensure that the federal government will respect the situation in Quebec. So, I was somewhat offended when I heard the previous speaker say “Of course, the Bloc members are always asking for something, because they do not want Canada to work”. This is utterly false. It is a matter of how things are supposed to work.
There is already legislation under Quebec's jurisdiction. Out of respect for Quebecers, the government should not have reintroduced this bill or should have amended it to ensure that Quebec's legislation would apply in that province while the federal legislation would apply elsewhere if this were what people wanted. But precedence should be given to Quebec's legislation so that our province can give personal information the protection it feels it deserves.
We live in a distinct society. The House recognized it in a motion on distinct society that was moved by the government, but ever since the motion was agreed to, the government just paid lip service to it. It is not mentioned in any legislation and whenever Quebec's distinct character, society and people have to be recognized in a bill, there is no mention of it.
Liberal members say that this is the position promoted by the Bloc, by the separatists, but I invite all Canadians to assess the situation.
On the one hand, the federal government wants to introduce a bill on electronic commerce that also covers the area of personal information, while, on the other hand, Quebec has already passed a groundbreaking bill whose value was recognized by people around the world. But the federal government is now stepping in, clumsily, several years after Quebec has passed and implemented its own legislation. All of a sudden, Quebec should step aside, because it is only a province. It would appear to be saying to Quebec “You people think in a different way”.
The hon. member used the term “national legislation”. It reminds me of all the fuss about the national capital. The federal government claims to be the national government. I am sorry but, under the constitution, it is merely the federal government and should act as such, respecting the jurisdictions of other governments. Quebec has jurisdiction over personal information, and it has exercised that jurisdiction quite well for 15 or 20 years, because it has legislation in place and has enforced it.
In Quebec, we passed a first version of this legislation, and then a second one in which the protection of personal information was included.
When we look at the whole situation, it must be understood that the position the Bloc Quebecois is fighting for is the result of a consensus in Quebec. It is supported by all kinds of organizations. For example, we have a letter from the Chambre des notaires to Mr. Manley, dated April 7, 1999, that reads—