Debates of Feb. 18th, 2000

Points Of Order

[The Acting Speaker (Mr. McClelland)]

Does the hon. member for Rivière-des-Mille-Îles have unanimous consent to table a document?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[Some hon. members]

No.

[Jean-Paul Marchand, Bloc, Québec East, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I have in my hand an article that appeared in Le Soleil of November 29 entitled “Chrétien Haggling” and written by Jean-Jacques Samson, which says:

Jean Chrétien can wait until the next Parti Quebecois convention in May 2000 to do anything about setting the parameters of another referendum on Quebec sovereignty. The Prime Minister of Canada proposed a swap yesterday to Lucien Bouchard. If Mr. Bouchard says he will not hold another referendum during his present term of office, Mr. Chrétien promises to make no further reference to referendums, the clarity of the question or the decision by the supreme court. In short, if you don't move, I won't.

Coming from anyone else, who had devoted the first part of his speech before 1,000 delegates from the Quebec section of his party to citing his duty and his responsibilities as the head of the Government of Canada in order to justify his having no choice but to intervene, this would have looked like a crudely set trap. But coming from Jean Chrétien, he is simply showing his true colours once again.

Mr. Chrétien is not motivated by a desire to settle this issue once and for all before passing on the leadership, as some said he would last week, he is apparently ready for a dirty deal—

[The Acting Speaker (Mr. McClelland)]

As we all know, we do not refer to members by name, even if we are quoting from someone else. The rules of the House indicate that we refer to members by their official titles or by their constituencies and not by their names. The idea is that we cannot take in the back door what we cannot bring in the front door.

That is just a general admonishment, but we need to get to the point because we should not be reading from the total document. If the hon. member for Quebec East wishes to table the document, would the member ask for consent of the House and then we will get on with it?

[Jean-Paul Marchand, Bloc, Québec East, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I will change a few words. “The Prime Minister can wait until the next Parti Quebecois convention in May 2000 to do anything about setting the parameters of another referendum on Quebec sovereignty. The Prime Minister of Canada has proposed a swap. If Mr. Bouchard says he will not hold another referendum during—”

[The Acting Speaker (Mr. McClelland)]

Does the hon. member for Quebec East have unanimous consent of the House to deposit the document?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[Some hon. members]

No.

[Suzanne Tremblay, Bloc, Rimouski—Mitis, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I have in hand an article from Le Monde of February 10, written by Louise Beaudoin. Its title is “Quebecers and sovereignism”.

Further to the introduction of Bill C-20, we have learned that the committee—which was meant to be the most democratic tool in the world, allowing Quebecers and Canadians to be heard—is refusing to accept briefs because they will not be appearing in person. I have never seen anything so democratic.

Mrs. Beaudoin begins her article as follows. I would ask, Mr. Speaker, that you at least listen to the first paragraph and you will see how very important this is. She writes:

There must always be agreement on what words mean. Many words have a number of different meanings attached. In France today, a person described as a liberal can be, pick one, a supporter of economic deregulation or a supporter of changing morality. That same word in the 1950s and 1960s would have been applied to a supporter of decolonization.

While such differences exist within France, they are even more marked between France and Quebec.

I am seeking unanimous consent to table this document, as I am sure that Canada would then finally understand what it is to be a sovereignist in Quebec.

[The Acting Speaker (Mr. McClelland)]

Is there unanimous consent for the tabling of this document?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[Some hon. members]

No.

[Odina Desrochers, Bloc, Lotbinière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister of Transport, who is in this House, to do something about the speed at which the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs is proceeding with passage of Bill C-20.

I am asking the Minister of Transport to approach the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs immediately, because what is going on right now does not make any sense.

This bill is destroying democracy in Quebec. Also I am indignant at the cavalier attitude of the legislative committee since it started its consideration of the bill, and at the procedure of the committee, which is embracing the undemocratic and arrogant principles of the current Prime Minister and his lackey, the member for Saint-Laurent—Cartierville.

On this matter—

[The Acting Speaker (Mr. McClelland)]

Fair is fair. When I am in the chair I do not like to hear any member being addressed by another member, even in a backhanded manner such as to call someone else the valet of another member. It is just not nice, so we are not going to do it. Would the hon. member for Lotbinière please finish his point of order.

[Odina Desrochers, Bloc, Lotbinière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my comments regarding the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs were because, to me, the way he behaves makes him a lackey. A lackey is someone in the service of the king—

[The Acting Speaker (Mr. McClelland)]

All right, we are finished. The hon. member for Chambly.

[Ghislain Lebel, Bloc, Chambly, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my colleague, the member for Lotbinière had nearly finished his remarks. I was hanging on to his every word. He has only a couple of words left to say, so could you—

[The Acting Speaker (Mr. McClelland)]

I was listening very carefully as well. I asked the hon. member not to refer to another member in the manner that he did. When he referred to the hon. member in the same way he was finished. I stood and recognized the next member.

[Stéphane Bergeron, Bloc, Verchères, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I can understand that you found my colleague's remarks a bit too long. I can understand that you found the terms he was using somewhat inappropriate, but once again I call on your divinatory talents to ask for the unanimous consent of the House for the tabling of the document he did not have the time to ask to table.

[The Acting Speaker (Mr. McClelland)]

No, with great respect I will not. I asked the member for Lotbinière not to refer to another member as a valet. When he did so a second time I interrupted so that he would not have the floor. That is why I went on to the next member.

[Ghislain Lebel, Bloc, Chambly, QC]

Mr. Speaker, again on a point of order. I was listening to my colleague very carefully, but I do not know which member he was referring to. Could you tell us, Mr. Speaker?

[The Acting Speaker (Mr. McClelland)]

I could but I will not. Are there any other points of order? We are proceeding now to the daily routine of business with the tabling of documents.

Does the hon. member wish to rise on a point of order? We would have to have unanimous consent to do so. The hon. member for Hochelaga—Maisonneuve.

[Réal Ménard, Bloc, Hochelaga—Maisonneuve, QC]

Mr. Speaker, on a point of order. If you will allow me, and I do not want to push you because you have always served the House well, with your permission, following the introduction, by the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, of a bill—not just any bill—denying the fundamental rights of Quebecers, whom you like so much, I ask for unanimous consent, which I am about to get, to table a document entitled “Le maintien d'une union monétaire avec un Québec séparé”—

[The Acting Speaker (Mr. McClelland)]

With respect, the member for Hochelaga—Maisonneuve has already been on his feet, so I will not recognize him again for the tabling of that document under a point of order.

The House has proceeded to the daily routine of business. We are on tabling of documents. We would require unanimous consent of the House to go back.