Mr. Speaker, I rise here today to speak to the government's decision to challenge the Quebec National Assembly's Bill 99.
The Government of Canada has chosen a path of confrontation by trying to invalidate this bill, which is fundamental for Quebec. Bill 99 states that only Quebeckers can decide their future. In fact, Ottawa is denying this decisive prerogative, because by challenging this bill, the federal government is going after the recognition of the Quebec nation and its inalienable right to self-determination.
However, the government should recall that, in 1995, the House of Commons voted to recognize Quebec as a distinct society. In addition, in 2006, the House also voted to recognize the Quebec nation.
Unfortunately, it was all just lip service. The Clarity Act, 2000 and today's direct attack on Bill 99 fly in the face of those statements of principle. In fact, those principles, which should guide this Parliament's policies, both in theory and in practice, are actually nothing but smoke and mirrors meant to mollify Quebeckers and their government. When it comes time to defend Quebec beyond empty rhetoric, actions will speak louder than words.
Bill 99 includes a number of provisions. The best known one is the absolute majority: 50% plus one. The refusal to abide by the 50% plus one rule is outright discrimination against individuals and is contrary to the principle of equality of votes. The votes of one option would have more weight than those of the other option in the decision making process.
However, the absolute majority rule was good enough for the other referendums on Quebec's sovereignty, for Newfoundland joining Confederation, for the vote on the Meech Lake accord and so on.
There are other provisions of Bill 99 that no one talks about much, but probably bother the federal government quite a bit, including on the sovereignty of Quebec's jurisdictions, which Canada has systematically violated. There is the Gérin-Lajoie doctrine to extend Quebec's jurisdiction internationally, which Canada has always refused to subscribe to, the protection of the territory and the freedom to develop it without the unilateral interference of the federal government.
The part that the federal government is interfering in today involves issues that are important to Quebeckers. What Canada is afraid of with Bill 99 is that Quebec not only has the right to legislate, but it also has the moral obligation to do so, in response to the federal government imposing an increasingly predatory, subjugating, mind-numbing and childish federalism, with no respect for the Quebec nation.
This bill also contains section 10, which upsets the federal government:
As regards the exercise of the fundamental and inalienable right of the Quebec people to decide its own destiny, the State of Quebec and the National Assembly are bound only by the provisions of this act and by other acts applying to the National Assembly. No other parliament or government may reduce the powers, authority, sovereignty or legitimacy of the National Assembly.
That is what is upsetting the federal government. The Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, who is a bit uncomfortable with the whole thing, agrees with it on a personal level. All of the political parties in the National Assembly recognize this legitimate right for Quebec.
This brings me to a fundamental issue for the government. If parties of all stripes in Quebec agree on the powers of the National Assembly, on the terms and conditions surrounding a referendum, including the rule of absolute majority and the wording of a question, does the federal government think that the federal Parliament can override all of the National Assembly's bills?