Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to take part in today's debate, even though, basically, it is sad to have such a debate.
It is sad because the Bloc Quebecois moved this motion for a somewhat artificial purpose, under the pretence of a procedural debate. However, as we just heard, on the substantive issue, they of course want to start the debate on Bill C-20 all over again, a debate they did not really participate in because they wasted the time of the House by wanting to table press clippings and old newspaper articles, and by resorting to other similar tactics.
Today's motion from the Bloc Quebecois reads as follows:
That this House instruct the Legislative Committee on Bill C-20, An Act to give effect to the requirement for clarity as set out in the opinion of the Supreme Court of Canada in the Quebec Secession Reference, to hold public hearings in all the regions of Quebec and Canada—
Presumably, this means of Quebec and of the rest of Canada, but this is how the motion is worded.
—so as to hear as many witnesses having an interest in the Bill as possible.
The government is opposed to this motion which would instruct the legislative committee on the bill to hold public hearings outside Ottawa. Why? First, because the goal of the Bloc Quebecois is not to make the committee travel to hear more witnesses. Its objective is to cause unreasonable delays. We already have plenty of evidence to that effect.
Bloc Quebecois members tried to table in this House close to 300 press clippings, 300 articles from old newspapers. They preferred to do that instead of hearing themselves talk. One must conclude that what they had to say was not very important since, instead of making speeches, they resorted to such manoeuvres in a futile attempt to attract the attention of the media and of Canadians.
Second, one cannot say that the parliamentary committee is not doing its work properly. To start with, the members sitting on this committee are doing excellent work. They are all members who take this whole debate to heart.
Moreover, the witnesses appearing before the committee are of great quality. Of course, there are those who choose not to invite witnesses they want to be able to say that these witnesses could not be heard. For example, the committee is hearing today from Mr. Lebel and Mr. Castonguay. They are not just anybody. I am not saying that I will agree with all the witnesses who will appear before this parliamentary committee, but there are people who have something to say, important things to say, presumably, and who will appear before the committee.
I might add that the committee hearings will be televised and that all Canadians will be able to watch them.
All hon. members are aware of the real agenda behind this motion. It is not to enable more Canadians to testify before the legislative committee. Bloc members have admitted that they are not even using all the time slots available to them now to produce witnesses, so how can they claim that they need even more? It is not to hear from witnesses.
Finally, I have to mention something important. I heard some members of the Bloc say a few days ago that certain witnesses will not be able to appear before the committee in Ottawa. However, these very same witnesses, at least several of them, and many others came in Ottawa a week ago to insist on being heard by the parliamentary committee. Now they claim that they cannot come to Ottawa to be heard by the committee. It is absurd. It is still the same distance to come to Ottawa as it was last week. How can we take them seriously when they are saying that it will be impossible for these witnesses to be hear d?
No, the real agenda is to do anything but have an open democratic review of this bill. The real agenda is to stall Bill C-20. We have proof of that. Anyone who has watched the House of Commons over recent months will know. When members of parliament try at least 300 times to waste the time of the House by tabling old newspaper clippings instead of making speeches, it is quite obvious what is going on. The agenda is to kill the bill.
I pointed out to the House leader of the Bloc Quebecois that the way the legislative committee conducts its business depends, first, on the committee's recommendation and, second, on the House's decision. As I noted, regarding the selection of witnesses, Standing Order 113 says that the committee is empowered to examine the bill and to hear as witnesses people who have a technical expertise to offer.
The government wanted to be as flexible as possible by offering members of this House the opportunity to use a definition of these witnesses on technical matters that is broad enough to allow the people to participate fully in this process, as long as some members of this House do not, of course, use this as an excuse to slow down the work of the parliamentary committee.
I also noted that, because Bill C-20 affects all men and women in Canada, whether they live in Quebec or elsewhere, its proceedings should be televised so that all those who wish to do so, since 80% or 90% of Canadians who have access to cable services, can watch the witnesses appearing before this parliamentary committee.
I also responded to a letter from the leader of the Conservative Party who claimed that he wanted to propose a reasoned amendment to improve the bill. One does not need to be a student of parliamentary procedure for too long to know that a reasoned amendment does not amend the bill. A reasoned amendment amends the motion of the bill. It can only do one thing, kill the bill. This is from time immemorial. It is in all of our procedural documents. The bill would disappear after a reasoned amendment was carried which is what the leader of the Conservatives offered. The bill would disappear from the order paper. That is on page 640 of our procedural manual.
Nor does the government intend to do what the Conservative Party leader asked for.
The legislative committee agreed to hear witnesses from all over Canada, witnesses such as the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs who yesterday made an excellent presentation before the parliamentary committee. Almost all Canadians, whether they live in Quebec or elsewhere, will be able to watch that presentation and many others on television. The media can also air excerpts in their news reports.