Mr. Speaker, following the speech by the hon. member from the Conservative Party, I would like to make a comment. I want to thank his party for giving us the opportunity, because this is their opposition day, to debate a motion which was on the Order Paper and to which priority was given today.
In previous speeches, reference was made to how the members of the Bloc felt last night at the time of the vote on Bill C-20 at third reading. I can tell you that the hon. member for Beauharnois—Salaberry has worked very hard, as did the staff in the leader's office and all members of the Bloc who have read Bill C-20 over and over and were aware of its importance for the future of Quebec.
First of all, we want to state clearly that it is up to the National Assembly to decide the wording of the question and then it will be up to the people of Quebec to decide their future.
It is true that, yesterday, third reading was very emotional for Bloc members. The first time I voted for the Parti Quebecois was in 1970, and from then on I have always voted for sovereignist parties.
I would never have been a federal member here in Ottawa had the Bloc not been created after the failure of the Meech Lake accord.
I understand that members from Ontario, Manitoba and all across English Canada voted in favour of Bill C-20. What I had trouble understanding and what made sad was seeing the Liberal members of Quebec vote, with a smile on their face, in favour of a measure to put a gag, handcuffs and fetters on Quebec. They said to Quebecers “You are not intelligent enough to decide your own future”. I had trouble with that.
It gave me a better understanding of why Liberal members from Quebec voted in favour of the Constitution in 1982, a Constitution that was never accepted by any Premier of Quebec, whether sovereigntist or federalist. No Premier of Quebec ever accepted that Constitution. However, 74 Liberal members of the House voted in favour of it.
Since yesterday, I understand things better, because I saw Liberal members of Quebec vote in favour of Bill C-20, the famous clarity bill. This legislation will ask “Is the question acceptable or not, is the majority acceptable or not?” That is what affected us.
In closing, I want to ask a question to the Progressive Conservative member who spoke before me. I know that the Progressive Conservative Party is somewhat divided on this issue. If he had been a member from Quebec whose role is to defend Quebecers' interests, would he have voted in favour of the bill?