Mr. Speaker, I am far from agreeing with what the hon. member just said in this House. On matters of personal conviction, hon. members on this side of the House, including the ministers, can express their views freely, can debate freely and vote freely.
Now, as far as the Quebec nation issue is concerned, I want to remind hon. members that as a Quebecker, I am particularly proud that the members on this side of the House voted in favour of a gesture expressing openness and reconciliation in the interests of national unity. The previous government required and forced its ministers to vote on personal issues. For some of them, and we all know it, this went against their convictions.