I would hope, Madam Speaker, that we would never as a Parliament be in a position where we would invoke the notwithstanding clause during my lifetime.
I deplore the fact that there are some provincial legislatures that have in fact invoked it. But what is interesting is the case of my home province of Quebec, which in fact did invoke the notwithstanding clause on the sign law. While I deplored it, I applauded the government because it used that five year period in order to find a legislative solution to the problem which respected the needs of the majority of the population in Quebec and the survival of the French language and at the same time respected minority rights. The legislation Quebec came out with afterward in fact did meet the charter test. It met the charter test at fifteen and it met it the charter test at one.
While I deplore the use of the notwithstanding clause, I do recognize that at times a provincial government may have had to do that in order to allow time to seek a solution. However, I would never be in favour of repealing our Charter of Rights and Freedoms, as was debated at the Alliance convention. I can only say that the fact such a thing was debated, while there was a watered down version, is still somewhat appalling. I guess it reflects that leader's view that the justice system is only for the protection of property and for punishment and not for the protection of individual rights and freedoms.
It is too bad that I am not permitted to ask questions at this point in time of the members opposite. I hope the member opposite will be taking part in this debate if he has not already done so because I have a few questions for him.
I find it amazing that this attitude comes from the Alliance Party, which has so often criticized the use of the notwithstanding clause in the province of Quebec. There is a disconnect there. On the one hand, that party thought about or proposed repealing the charter. On the other, it asks me if I would be in favour of using the notwithstanding clause. This would allow the conclusion that those members are in favour of that. At the same time, that same party, or its previous incarnation as the Reform Party, criticized the Government of Quebec for using the notwithstanding clause. I wish that party would get its act together and make up its mind.