Debates of Feb. 18th, 2000

Points Of Order

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[Some hon. members]

No.

[Monique Guay, Bloc, Laurentides, QC]

Mr. Speaker, following the introduction by the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs of a bill denying Quebecers their basic rights, I ask for unanimous consent to table a document that will enlighten the House.

It is an article published in Le Soleil on December 4—

[The Deputy Speaker]

Is there unanimous consent?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[Some hon. members]

No.

[Jocelyne Girard-Bujold, Bloc, Jonquière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, following the introduction by the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs of Bill C-20, denying Quebecers their basic rights, I would like to table a document entitled “Un court historique des unions monétaires d'États indépendants” that will certainly enlighten the House.

[The Deputy Speaker]

Is there unanimous consent?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[Some hon. members]

No.

[Pauline Picard, Bloc, Drummond, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I have here a document from a reader of La Voix de l'Est who says “Whom do they think we are in Ottawa? Some numbskulls who do not even know French? They called their bill the clarity bill, and yet there is nothing clear about it. They must not be trying to enlighten the people”.

If sovereignty is mentioned, they will say we should talk about independence. If independence is mentioned, they will say we should talk about separation.

[The Deputy Speaker]

Is there unanimous consent to table this document?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[Some hon. members]

No.

[Jean-Guy Chrétien, Bloc, Frontenac—Mégantic, QC]

Mr. Speaker, following the announcement by the government that it was introducing a bill drastically altering the rules of the game should a referendum be held in Quebec, I ask for the consent of all members present in this House to table a document that will enlighten it.

[The Deputy Speaker]

Is there unanimous consent?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[Some hon. members]

No.

[Christiane Gagnon, Bloc, Québec, QC]

Mr. Speaker, in light of the introduction by the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs of a bill that denies Quebecers their fundamental rights, I am asking for the unanimous consent of the House to table a document which will certainly enlighten this House.

It is an article on the advantages to Ontario of the separation of Quebec, which appeared in La Presse on January 26.

The article states:

The sovereignty of Quebec would temporarily upset the economy of Ontario but, in the long term, Canada's richest province would undeniably gain from Quebec's departure from the federation. This is what was revealed by the Globe and Mail yesterday, after it managed, with great difficulty, to get its hands on secret studies commissioned by the Government of Ontario during the 1995 referendum campaign, when everything seemed lost for the federalists. According to these documents, Ontario felt at that time that the federal government was prepared to use military force if Quebec declared independence unilaterally. The government of the neighbouring province also feared that Quebec's departure might trigger a long recession and destabilize the dollar.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh.

[Christiane Gagnon, Bloc, Québec, QC]

It took three years—

[The Deputy Speaker]

Is there unanimous consent for the tabling of the document?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[Some hon. members]

No.

[The Deputy Speaker]

The interpreters tell us that they cannot do their job when everyone is talking at the same time.