Mr. Speaker, I welcome the opportunity to participate in today's historic debate that has already left its mark on my short political career.
I rise today in this Canadian parliament, which has a rich tradition and a strong respect for democracy, to condemn the most undemocratic operation ever organized by the federal Liberals, led by the current prime minister, the last servant of his grand master, Trudeau.
History will show that this man dedicated his whole political career to trampling down the people of Quebec. Today, with his accomplice, another loyal supporter of the Trudeau philosophy, the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, he wants to impose a permanent gag order on the people of Quebec.
Ottawa will now decide on the future of Quebec. The men and women who have been democratically elected to the National Assembly are not capable of doing it. This is a real insult to democracy. Canadian democracy, under the adepts of Trudeau's philosophy, is sick. It no longer works.
This government is constantly imposing time allocation motions, better known as gag motions, to silence the democratically elected members. This parliament has become a place where undemocratic measures are taken repeatedly.
Last week, when I saw the government House leader get up at second reading stage to move closure again, I told myself that democracy was on its way out.
This closure motion upset me tremendously. I would like to remind members that for about fifteen years, I worked in the media, where people get to hear the various declarations of the main decision makers in society, a place where people can find out what is going on. Here, in Ottawa, in the House of Commons, they want to gag democracy.
Seeing the Liberals' arrogance, I realized that members of the House no longer have the right to express themselves and take part in important and significant debates on the future of our society.
The gag imposed last week and the rules set by the legislative committee show us that this government no longer wants to listen to the population. The Prime Minister and his Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs do not want to allow Quebecers to express themselves. They have set up a rigid framework, limiting to 45 the number of witnesses to be heard by the committee; 45 people will be heard in Ottawa, and nowhere else. Out of this number, ten witnesses can be selected by the Bloc Quebecois.
Moreover, the rules of procedure laid down by the committee endorse the whole undemocratic operation orchestrated by the champion of arrogance in the House, the Prime Minister of Canada.
We are now living here in Ottawa, in the House of Commons, through some dark moments in our current democracy, unfortunately supported by 26 members of parliament from Quebec, 26 members who refuse to see the political consequences of Bill C-20, that constitutional ripoff.
History will be harsh with them, as harsh as it was in 1982, when 74 Liberals unilaterally approved the patriation of the constitution.
In 1984, the Quebec people responded by throwing them out of the Canadian parliament, and the little guy from Shawinigan, the great democrat, resigned in 1986 because he disagreed with the leader of the Liberals at the time, John Turner. Once again, we we see what sense of democracy the current Prime Minister has.
I once again appeal to all my federal Liberal colleagues from Quebec. Wake up. Bring the Prime Minister to his senses. Talk to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs. This is serious. As a member of the Standing Committee on Finance, I had the opportunity to take part in consultations throughout Canada.
As a member of the Standing Committee on Agriculture, I travelled to Australia, Washington, Paris, Chicago and even Brazil. But today, for Bill C-20, we must stay in Ottawa and be bulldozed under by this government, which is ignoring all the demands of Quebecers and Canadians who would have liked to be heard by this committee.
All opposition parties demand that this legislative committee travel across the country and in Quebec. Since this undemocratic bill was introduced, members of my party, the Bloc Quebecois, have spoken out repeatedly in this House and across Quebec to inform people of the political consequences of Bill C-20.
Only yesterday, about 20 of my colleagues travelled throughout Quebec to condemn the approach of the legislative committee of the House of Commons. Back home, in Lotbinière, I have had five interviews with regional media and, during the weekend, a series of events will be held to continue informing and alerting people about the impact of this bill intended to muzzle Quebecers.
Again, on behalf of democracy, on behalf of Quebecers, I ask the Liberal government to allow the committee to expand its consultation process and to travel wherever Canadians want to be heard.
Some 40 years ago, the people of Quebec, the people of the riding of Lotbinière, proud Quebecers, embarked on a long political process that will very soon lead them to Quebec's sovereignty. It will be soon because Bill C-20 will become the necessary political tool to convince Quebecers that the only real way to gain complete freedom of action and to fulfil Quebecers' expectations is sovereignty.
Neither Bill C-20 nor the antidemocratic stubbornness of Liberals in this House will prevent me from continuing this battle, which is so dear to me, to have Quebec's flag at the United Nations and to live in a Quebec free of the federalist yoke once and for all.
