Marcel Massé

[Referendum On Quebec Sovereignty, June 20th, 1995]

It is clear that when a party is elected by democratic means and its purpose is to separate, that party is a clear threat to the unity of the country. As the people responsible for the unity of the country, it is our duty to explain what our country is about, to defend it and to take all necessary steps to show people the advantages of federalism, since both in Quebec and here in Ottawa, we have a party that is trying to show only the disadvantages.

[Referendum On Quebec Sovereignty, June 20th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, I said the Parti Quebecois was a threat to the unity of the country, and I repeat that the Parti Quebecois and the Bloc Quebecois are a threat to the unity of the country.

[Referendum On Quebec Sovereignty, June 20th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, as we said before, we intend to respect the spirit of the referendum act. There is certainly no doubt about that.

The referendum campaign has yet to begin, and I must say there are some very clear signs, because I have here a list of referendum-related expenditures by the Parti Quebecois, including, for instance, what they sent in the way of propaganda to every household in Quebec, which cost $1.5 million; the advertising campaign targeted to cultural communities, which cost $1.2 million; and the commissions on the future of Quebec, which cost $7.5 million.

Since the Government of Quebec used taxpayers money to make these pre-referendum expenditures, it should look at the beam in its own eye instead of the mote in ours.

[Canadian Unity, June 19th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned, the figures in the estimates were drawn up to the best of our knowledge, given what we knew at that time about the Parti Quebecois's strategy.

And anybody who spends between $8 and $10 million on regional commissions, which were nothing more than propaganda machines, is in no position to grill us about our figures.

[Canadian Unity, June 19th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, we have very clearly estimated that the total cost of Operation Unity will be $2.5 million. This was the amount noted in the estimates, which are drawn up to give us an idea of how much money we need for the fiscal year.

But obviously, since then, our big brother from the Bloc Quebecois decided to put off the referendum, so we may have to

spend more than we previously estimated. How much more, we will only know once the referendum date has been set.

[Referendum On Quebec Sovereignty, June 19th, 1995]

I do Mr. Speaker, but I want to carry on-

[Referendum On Quebec Sovereignty, June 19th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, I retract that word and replace it with "misleading". Advertising which-

[Referendum On Quebec Sovereignty, June 19th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, how can the opposition dare to ask such a question, considering who is doing the advertising in the Montreal metro, who held the regional commissions, who is using Quebec taxpayers' money to carry out, through its departments, false advertising on what goes on-

[Referendum On Quebec Sovereignty, June 19th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, the Council for Canadian Unity is an independent organization. This registered private organization has no official link with us. The government finances the council because that organization seeks to promote Canadian unity, which is a perfectly valid goal.

When the opposition or its big brother finances the council on Quebec sovereignty with my taxes and with the taxes paid to the Quebec government, it is clear that the opposition's big brother uses taxpayers' money to sell its option.

[Council For Canadian Unity, June 9th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, I think that we on this side will refrain from mentioning the advertising in the Montreal subway, the Commission on Quebec's sovereignty and the regional commissions.

We will refrain, because we already abide by the law and intend to comply with the spirit of the referendum legislation. However, what this country needs is for the referendum to be held as soon as possible, with a clear question, so that we will be able to deal with this problem once and for all and can start dealing with the real issues: creating jobs in Canada, including Quebec, and reducing poverty in Canada and Quebec.