Michel Gauthier

[Renewal Of Canadian Federalism, November 28th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, in his last minute improvised announcement, the Prime Minister remained true to himself in proposing to recognize Quebec as a distinct society, purely symbolically, through a simple parliamentary motion, which will give Quebec neither special status nor additional power.

How can the Prime Minister seriously think he is satisfying Quebecers, nearly 50 per cent of whom voted for sovereignty in the last referendum, with a simple resolution of the House of Commons symbolically recognizing the distinct nature of Quebec but without any additional power? Is this not an insult to their intelligence?

[The Constitution, November 27th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, the minister's inept excuses are not backed up by Daniel Johnson, president of the No committee in Quebec City. I have the following question for the minister. Now that even his federalist allies in Quebec are asking the Prime Minister to deliver the goods, will the government remember his pre-referendum commitments to Quebecers or will it do what the minister just did and hide behind the fact that there is a sovereignist government in Quebec City?

[The Constitution, November 27th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, will the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs acknowledge that what the government plans to do about recognizing Quebec as a distinct society and about the veto has no connection at all with the request made by Quebec Liberals on the weekend to include these two concepts in the Canadian Constitution, and that the government certainly has no intention of reopening the Constitution to do so?

[The Constitution, November 27th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, the special general council of the Quebec Liberal Party revealed last week in Montreal that Daniel Johnson, the president of the No committee, not only heard the Prime Minister's promises of change, he believed them. As Ottawa has been reluctant to deliver the goods, the Quebec Liberal Party went so far as to adopt four resolutions on the promised constitutional changes.

My question is directed to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs or to the Deputy Prime Minister. Will they acknowledge that the Prime Minister has no intention at all of acting on the recommendations of the Quebec Liberal Party and reopening the Canadian Constitution, as requested, to insert a provision recognizing Quebec as a distinct society?

[Committee Chaired By Minister Of Intergovernmental Affairs, November 24th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, it is so obvious. A cabinet minister tries to find reasons why they should not keep the promises made by the Prime Minister, and it is not their fault. I have never seen anything like it.

Is it not true that the purpose of the phoney committee headed by the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs is merely to play for time so that the government can slowly but surely downgrade its commitments to Quebec and ultimately make them compatible with the interests of its Canadian friends?

[Committee Chaired By Minister Of Intergovernmental Affairs, November 24th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, here is my supplementary.

Are we to understand that the minister refuses to release any recommendations or clarifications of any kind with respect to the proceedings of this committee? Perhaps he prefers not to embarrass his friends on the No committee, the provincial Liberals who are meeting in Quebec City on the weekend and who would otherwise realize that the minister and the government have strictly nothing to offer Quebecers.

[Committee Chaired By Minister Of Intergovernmental Affairs, November 24th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, the phoney committee that was set up in a mad rush to save the face of a government that is incapable of keeping the Prime Minister's promises, this phoney committee headed by the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs has now started its work and apparently has sent a progress report to the Prime Minister's office.

Since this report is supposedly essential to the survival of Canada, does the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs who chairs the phoney committee intend to release this report, so that Canadians can look at the recommendations?

[Business Of The House, November 23rd, 1995]

With a very short preamble, Mr. Speaker, I would like to know from the government House leader what our legislative menu will be.

[The Constitution, November 23rd, 1995]

How delightful, Mr. Speaker. What is the world coming to? Now for my question, and I hope we manage to understand each other.

The Prime Minister of Canada-not Joe Blow but the Prime Minister-comes to Quebec six days before a referendum. Without anyone asking, he promises the changes the Deputy Prime Minister just mentioned.

And then we have the same Prime Minister, and since I am going to quote him, I will quote exactly what he said two days after the referendum in this House: "This I have promised and this I will do". And yesterday, he told us: "I will not do it". What is going on?

[The Constitution, November 23rd, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, this is a fine way of passing the buck. This government blames unemployment on the previous government, and when there are problems with the Constitution, it blames them on the opposition.

When the Prime Minister made these promises to Quebec a few days before the referendum, he knew there was a sovereignist government in Quebec City. He knew that perfectly well. He made certain promises. So how can he use the sovereignist government in Quebec City as an excuse to back out of the promises he made so he will not have to deliver the goods?