Mr. Speaker, my intention was to ask the same question. It seems that the occasion of the Prime Minister and the first ministers having reached an agreement would be more than appropriate for the Prime Minister or the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs or the Minister of Justice or someone either today or tomorrow or early next week to make a ministerial statement that would lay out the government's rationale for this, to take parliament seriously and into the confidence of the government on this and have an opportunity for opposition parties to comment. I cannot think of anything more appropriate and respectful of the House of Commons than such a process.
In the House of Commons on February 4th, 1999. See this statement in context.