Mr. Speaker, the bill introduced by my colleague from Montcalm would remove Quebec from the Canadian Multiculturalism Act. It is clear and simple.
Contrary to the absurd comments of some members of the House, removing Quebec from multiculturalism does not mean we would be closing ourselves off from others. It just means that we want to welcome others in our own way and not as Canada does.
In the words of Boucar Diouf, we are a tightly knit diverse nation. We want to truly live together, not just tolerate one another. It takes a little bit of effort on both sides. We must each take another small step towards one another. We need a minimum of shared values on which we agree well enough that we can understand one another when we talk. We need a language we all understand, a common language.
That is the model for managing diversity that is right for Quebec society. We will interact, mix and be a tightly knit diverse nation. We will live together, not just side by side, and together we will build the Quebec that we love so much. Together we will continue this great adventure of building an original society on this North American land.
To achieve that, we, as Quebeckers, must be the ones to decide how we will interact with one another and how we will manage our differences in order to live together harmoniously. The bill introduced by my esteemed colleague from Montcalm is simply intended to allow that. Nothing else.
Forty years ago, the Lévesque government and the Trudeau government signed the Cullen-Couture agreement. The Government of Quebec became responsible for welcoming and integrating immigrants to Quebec. In spite of this agreement, Quebec remains a prisoner to Canada's model of integration through multiculturalism, but we still feel it is our right to welcome new Quebeckers and manage our diversity to ensure everyone's full participation in Quebec society.
If the House recognizes Quebec as a nation, which is supposedly the case, the least it could do is respect our right to choose our own integration policy. However, based on what I see here in the House, it seems as though most members do not recognize that my people, who are a minority in this country, exist and have rights.