Mr. Speaker, today I am proud to congratulate our leader, the member for Laurier—Sainte-Marie, who will be awarded the 2010 Louis-Joseph Papineau prize at the Gala des Patriotes on May 24.
This prize, which was instituted in 2005, honours a parliamentarian from Quebec who has distinguished himself by contributing to political life in Quebec and advancing the cause of sovereignty.
Needless to say, our leader has made an outstanding contribution to defending Quebec's interests by serving as a sovereignist MP in Ottawa since 1990 and playing an active role in founding the Bloc Québécois after the failure of the Meech Lake accord. For the past 20 years, he has devoted his time and energy to the sovereignist cause, always with the same passion and inspiration.
I join my colleagues in commending our leader on his contribution to building the Quebec we know today and extending its influence abroad.