Debates of Feb. 23rd, 2000

Point Of Order

[The Acting Speaker (Mr. McClelland)]

Is there unanimous consent?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[Some hon. members]

No.

[Gilles-A. Perron, Bloc, Saint-Eustache—Sainte-Thérèse, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to reassure my colleagues, the intergovernmental affairs minister, and the hon. member for Papineau—Saint-Denis. I will not be talking about the scandal in the human resources development department.

I would like to have the unanimous consent of the House to table an article condemning Bill C-20 because it is denying the basic rights of Quebecers. It was published in Le Soleil on February 20, 2000, under the title “Referendum Clarity”.

[The Acting Speaker (Mr. McClelland)]

Is there unanimous consent?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[Some hon. members]

No.

[Ghislain Fournier, Bloc, Manicouagan, QC]

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

It is an article published in Le Devoir on February 21, 2000, entitled “The National Movement of Quebecers Launches a Campaign to Promote Sovereignty”, and I quote:

This campaign, which deals with the substance of the sovereignty issue, has several elements. One of those elements is about women; a second one deals with young people at the collegiate level; the third one is an ad campaign; and the fourth but not the less proposes a series of conferences to be held by people sold on sovereignty.

The president of the Mouvement national des Québécoises et des Québécois, Mrs. Louise Paquet, made the announcement yesterday at a press conference, during which she was accompanied by Mr. Yves Michaud and the actor Jean-Claude Germain.

[The Acting Speaker (Mr. McClelland)]

Is there unanimous consent?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[Some hon. members]

No.

[Hélène Alarie, Bloc, Louis-Hébert, QC]

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

It is an article published in La Presse canadienne , on February 21, 2000, entitled “Ottawa Wants to Neutralize Quebec on the International Scene”, and I quote:

Anthropologist Claude Bariteau, of Laval University, joined a group of intellectuals and unionists brought together by the Société nationale des Québécois to protest against Bill C-20. According to him, this bill limits Quebecers in their freedom of choice about their future by subjecting them to the approval of the House of Commons.

Among other people supporting the initiative of the SNQ, there are Louis Balthazar, Henri Brun, Louis O'Neill as well as Nathalie Leclerc, the daughter of the late Félix Leclerc, the author, composer and interpreter Jacques Michel, unionists Robert Caron and Ann Gingras and a representative of Action Chômage, Jeanne Lalanne.

I would like to continue. It is very interesting. May I go on?

[The Acting Speaker (Mr. McClelland)]

Unfortunately, it is impossible.

Is there unanimous consent to allow the hon. member to table this document?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[Some hon. members]

No.

[Caroline St-Hilaire, Bloc, Longueuil, QC]

Mr. Speaker, following up on the statement made by my colleague from Louis-Hébert, I have here an article from the newspaper Le Nouvelliste of February 21, 2000, entitled “Promotion Campaign Launched by the MNQ”.

Let me quote a very interesting excerpt from this article. Former minister Yves Michaud said: “We must cope with extreme federalism. Throughout its history, it has never been so invading and destructive”.

To enlighten my colleagues opposite, I would ask for the unanimous consent to table this document, and I have a feeling I may get it.

[The Acting Speaker (Mr. McClelland)]

Is there unanimous consent?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[Some hon. members]

No.

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

Mr. Speaker, I would like to table a document in the House.

It would allow members opposite to be enlightened on Bill C-20. This is an article entitled “Ryan Condemns the Federal Initiative” that was published in the daily newspaper Le Devoir of February 22, 2000.

In this article, Mr. Ryan said: “By wanting to make the federal Parliament the judge on the clarity of the question and the referendum result, in contradiction with the prerogatives of the national assembly, the Chrétien government is violating the same principles he is claiming to defend, those of federalism and democracy”[...]

[The Acting Speaker (Mr. McClelland)]

Is there unanimous consent?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[Some hon. members]

No.

[Jake Hoeppner, Reform, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I have constituents who would like me to present a couple of petitions to the House. They think it is very important. I would ask for the unanimous consent to go to presenting petitions.

[The Acting Speaker (Mr. McClelland)]

The hon. member for Portage—Lisgar has asked for the unanimous consent of the House to go to presenting petitions. Is there consent?