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—