Mr. Speaker, ultimately the issue is not about who submits this request from Quebec, a federalist government in Quebec or a sovereignist member in Ottawa. The issue is whether this legitimate request will be sanctioned by the federal Liberal government. Quebec's right to speak internationally is necessary and imperative for better defending the interests of the Quebec nation.
If Quebec cannot intervene when an agreement affecting its exclusive jurisdictions is being discussed internationally, then it is only natural for Quebec to refuse to implement said agreement. The people of Quebec often do not have a voice when international treaties on their future are being discussed and concluded.
While the current government claims to work in collaboration with the provinces, it refuses to allow Quebec to use its own voice abroad in discussions involving Quebec's powers and interests. When Canada boasts that it speaks with one voice, that voice excludes Quebec and that is a great disadvantage.